


Where We Lay our Heads

by feihu



Category: GARO (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Post Makai Senki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-10
Updated: 2014-06-02
Packaged: 2017-12-29 00:37:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 43
Words: 65,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/998778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feihu/pseuds/feihu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a long night of hunting horrors, Kouga and his fellow knights return home. But out of all four of them, only Kouga has someone waiting there for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was dark when the four men returned to the mansion. Most of the lights inside had been shut off, a sign that Gonza had turned in for the night. Kouga didn’t begrudge him that, he’d had no idea when they would return that night, if they even would. Shutting the door quietly once they were all inside, the owner of the massive home led his companions on an exhausted trek up to the second floor. They were bruised and battered, even a tad bit bloody, but they had won. In the end, that was the important thing.

Running his hand along the banister as he trudged up the stairs, Kouga was once again pleased that he had turned much of the interior design of his home over to Kaoru. After the destruction of his childhood home by Sigma, the golden knight had trusted his butler to oversee the rebuild of the large structure, though the inside of the house was vastly different than it had been previously. There were paintings on almost all of the walls, not to mention far more windows than there used to be. All of it made the mansion feel warmer and brighter than he could ever recall it being, and he loved it. The spaces of wall in the second floor corridor held more artwork, though it was painted directly on the wall instead of being framed. The floor had been set up so that every door faced a section of wall, allowing for a unique way to mark who the room belonged to.

Turning to open a pair of double doors on his left, he spared a glance at the mural on the opposite wall. How fitting that it showed all four armors that he and the three with him wore. Flipping on the light as he stepped into the room, he walked over to the bookcase in the corner and opened the box sitting on one of the shelves. Pulling a single flask out, he handed it to the tallest of their group. “Leo, can you use your magic to make enough of this for all of us? It’ll help with the bruises we’re all going to have tomorrow.”

The man in question, both a knight and a priest, gave a slightly startled nod as he took the flask. Setting it down on an end table, he pulled out his brush and focused his magic on the task he had been given. Soon, three more identical flasks appeared on the small table. Leo let out a satisfied sigh as he flashed a sardonic smile at his companions. "That is actually four, right? I'm so tired my eyes are crossing."

"Yes, it is. And I completely understand the exhaustion. Kouga, you are letting us stay tonight, right?" Sagged against the back of an arm chair, Tsubasa scrubbed his hands over his face before glancing over at the man he'd addressed.

"Stay as long as you need to. Now that the Senate has decided to assign all of us to this area, you are all more than welcome to make this your home." Shrugging off his long white coat, Kouga hung it over the back of the chair that sat behind a massive oak desk. 

Sitting upright from where he'd been sprawled on one of the couches, Rei boggled at their host. "What, seriously? Does Kaoru-chan know about this?"

Kouga laughed tiredly as he walked back over and picked up one of the flasks. "In the morning, or whenever you pry yourselves out of bed and open your doors, take a good look at the wall facing your door. If you still can't figure it out, ask me again."

With a roll of his eyes, Leo picked up a flask and handed it to Rei before grabbing his own. "While I will agree that Kaoru-san has been good for you, Kouga-san, this new sense of humor of yours is too much when I'm this worn out."

"Rin will be ecstatic when I tell her. And then show up unannounced with _those two_ in tow." With a scowl, Tsubasa reached for the last flask. After pulling out the stopper, he held it up in a toast. "To teamwork." The other three knights echoed his words before they all drank the elixir, though only Rei shuddered at the taste.

Kouga clapped a hand over Tsubasa's shoulder comfortingly before heading for the door. "Jabi and Rekka aren't that bad. Now come on, we all need our sleep." Tsubasa was too exhausted to argue the point, so he shuffled out the door with a yawn. Leo and Rei came next, leaning on each other and already half asleep. Kouga escorted them each to a bedroom farther down the hall before proceeding up one last staircase. There were more bedrooms on the third floor, those most of these had doors facing blank walls. Even in the dark, though, he could pick out details of a golden knight on a matching steed leaping from an easel on the wall across from the master suite. Smiling softly, he ran his fingertips over the artwork before quietly opening the door.

Looking up at the sound of the bedroom door opening, Kaoru uncurled herself and stood from the chair she'd been sitting in. Setting down her sketchbook and pencil, she smiled as she crossed the room. "Okaeri, Kouga. You look exhausted." Her arms wound around his waist in a warm hug as she welcomed her lover home.

"Tadaima, Kaoru. And since I am exhausted, that's not too surprising. What are you still doing up, you should be sleeping." Kouga's arms folded around her slim shoulders as he buried his face in her hair. 

"Oh, I couldn't sleep, so I've been drawing. I've come up with an idea for another picture book about the golden knight, so I've been working on that. The new story will have some of the knight's friends in it, and I've been playing with the character designs." Closing her eyes, Kaoru smiled happily and leaned into Kouga's chest. 

Kouga chuckled softly and pulled back to look down at the artist. "I'm looking forward to seeing them, but perhaps tomorrow. I just want a shower and sleep." He was worn out to the bone, not to mention stiff and sore. Stepping away from Kaoru, he began undressing so that he could go get cleaned up.

Kaoru couldn't resist giggling as Kouga released her. "Well I didn't want to say anything, but a shower is definitely a good idea."

Once he'd shed his leather combat outfit, Kouga turned a sulking glare on Kaoru. When the look only made her laugh harder, he had to struggle to maintain it as he dug out a pair of loose pants to sleep in. As he headed for the en suite, he gave up all pretense of being annoyed as he stopped to kiss her gently. "I won't take long."

"I'll wait up for you." Standing on the balls of her feet, Kaoru stretched up into the kiss. As soon as the bathroom door closed, she picked up her art supplies and finished her nightly routine. The curtains got pulled shut, her bedside lamp was switched on before the overhead light went out, and the covers on the bed got turned down. The scrunchie in her hair got pulled out and left on top of the vanity that sat in one corner of the room as she combed her fingers through the long strands before climbing in bed and waiting. She knew that there would likely be nights where Kouga wouldn't make it home, nights where he and the others would be out working and hunting clear until dawn. There would be nights where she would wonder if he would come back at all, or if he was trapped or dead or any number of possibilities, but that was alright. She would be strong enough to bear the weight of those fears.

In the bathroom, Kouga gently set Zaruba on the counter before shedding his last article of clothing and climbing under the hot spray of the shower. The water was just shy of scalding, but it felt so good on his battered frame. He was operating entirely on autopilot as he washed his hair and scrubbed at his skin, yawning every few seconds. Thank god it hadn't been a night where the horror got away, leaving him and the other three to debate returning home or hiding out and sleeping in shifts. He never slept as well without Kaoru anymore. He'd known from the moment he'd met her that she was special, it was what had stayed his blade, after all. Shutting off the water, he stepped out of the shower, skin bright pink from the heat and the hasty scrubbing. He dressed clumsily, even going so far as to lean on the counter to keep from falling over as he pulled the soft flannel pants on. One half-hearted attempt at brushing his teeth later, the tired knight scooped up Zaruba and nearly slapped the wall to shut out the light as he stumbled to bed. 

Kaoru yawned from her spot under the covers, realizing suddenly how tired she was. Zaruba's stand sat next to her lamp ready and waiting; she had a feeling Kouga would have either tossed the madou ring on the nearest flat surface or worn him all night otherwise. A tired smile graced her lips as her lover stumbled into bed, tucking himself to her side automatically. "Hand Zaruba to me, Kouga."

A sleepy grunt was all the reply she got as the heavy living ring dropped into her palm. It was a bit of a stretch with the way Kouga's arms were already twined around her torso, but Kaoru managed to set Zaruba onto the carved stand crafted for him before turning off the lamp. As the room was plunged into darkness, Kouga sighed and finally allowed his eyes to close. His head was pillowed on Kaoru's chest, the steady beating of her heart a soothing lullaby. There was a rare smile on his face as sleep claimed him, a sign of how safe and at peace he felt. With his love in his arms, he finally felt at home for the first time since his childhood.


	2. Chapter 2

When Kouga finally pried his eyes open the next day, it was to the sound of Gonza's voice calling his name. Groaning softly, he scrubbed his face with his hands and blinked until his vision cleared. On the opposite side of the bed, Zaruba was still snoring away on Kaoru's nightstand, oblivious to the time of day. Speaking of time, he looked at Gonza as he sat up and stretched. "What time is it? And where is Kaoru?"

Gonza smiled fondly as he stood ramrod straight next to the bed. "It's eleven thirty, Kouga-sama. Kaoru-sama is going through the histories of the different knight lineages in your study. She sent me to wake everyone for lunch, so I thought it best to start with you."

Kouga nodded in understanding before climbing out of bed and moving to get dressed. "Thank you, Gonza. Best wake Rei next, you know how hard he is to get out of bed. What's for lunch today?" 

"Kaoru-sama requested a western styled breakfast. She feels it will be filling enough to revitalize everyone. All that's left to make are the eggs and the bacon." By now, it was habit for the old butler to help his young master dress. It wasn't like it ever took very long for Kouga to do so anyway. "Shall I go wake the others now, Kouga-sama?"

"Aa, please do." After sliding his feet into his boots, Kouga walked over to open the curtains on the far side of the room. It was a beautiful day, from what he could see. It had been a gorgeous fall so far, and the leaves were vivid shades of orange and red. In fact, if one looked at the trees just so, the branches seemed to be alight with fire. Turning away from the view, Kouga picked up Zaruba and headed down to his study.

Having never been very tall, Kaoru was easily dwarfed by the large desk that dominated the study. With tomes and half done sketches scattered over the surface of that particular desk, she seemed almost childlike sitting at it. With a frustrated sigh, she forcefully put her sketchbook down on a pile of unfinished sheets to focus on the book she was flipping through. Certainly, there had to be a clue in it somewhere! Another frustrated sigh later, she slammed that book shut before jumping at the sound of someone laughing softly. Looking up, she saw Kouga leaning against the back of a wingback chair that sat several feet in front of the desk. Picking up a stack of sketches that she was not at all happy with, Kaoru began balling them up and throwing them at her smirking lover. "Don't sneak up on me like that! It's rude!"

Kouga couldn't help laughing as he batted the paper projectiles away. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. You looked so stern and serious, I felt I needed to make you laugh. Though out of curiosity,what exactly did that book do to you to deserve such rough treatment?"

As much as she tried, Kaoru couldn't bring herself to keep a frown on her face when Kouga laughed. It was still such a novelty to hear so much cheer coming from him that she wanted to revel in each occasion of it. Leaning back in the plush chair, she raked a hand through her loose hair and pouted at the book she had just closed so mercilessly. "It didn't have what I need."

Walking around the desk, Kouga leaned on the edge of it and looked down at Kaoru. "And what is it that you need? Perhaps I can help you find it."

Kaoru chewed her lower lip for a moment before looking up at him. "You and Rei-kun have those horse...things...with your armors, and I know what they look like enough to draw them for my next book. I don't know what the ones for Leo-kun and Tsubasa-san's armors would look like, so I was hoping to find some sort of reference to them. Preferably in the form of a drawing."

"Horse things, huh? Is that a technical term?" Zaruba snickered softly on his hand as Kouga tried to keep a straight face.

"As a matter of fact, it is. They look like horses, but they're made of armor, so they are horse things." With a resolute nod, Kaoru squared her shoulders and silently dared Kouga to counter her logic.

/You could just call them ‘mounts’, Kaoru./ Zaruba let out a metallic chuckle before replying. He was highly amused by the woman, not to mention grateful for her. Kouga was a much better person with her influence.

Unfolding herself in order to stand, Kaoru stuck her tongue out at Zaruba. “I like my name for them better. It’s more interesting.” She was in the middle of a well deserved stretch when Kouga’s arms wound around her, pulling a squeak from the artist as strong arms caught her in a warm hug. Draping her arms over his shoulders, Kaoru grinned up at him. “So I take it lunch is nearly done? I asked Gonza to let you sleep until it was.”

Kouga nodded and held Kaoru close for a long moment before pulling back. Offering his arm to the artist, he led her toward the door of the study. “Aa, it is. He said only the eggs and bacon are left, but he still has to try and wake Rei.”

“Well, that’ll take a while, then.” Kouga and Kaoru both turned to see who had spoken as they exited the study, spotting Leo and Tsubasa in the hall. Stepping closer, Leo nearly beamed at Kaoru as he bowed to her and spoke again. “Kaoru-san, the painting across from my door is incredible, thank you so much. You have a wonderful talent.”

“Leo is right, you are very skilled. I’m honored to be able to view such a painting.” Tsubasa stepped up next to the taller knight and bowed just as deeply.

Releasing her hold on Kouga’s arm, Kaoru urged both men to stand upright again. “So, they’re accurate, then? I had to use second hand accounts and books to do them rather than first hand view, so I wasn’t sure they’d be right.”

Glancing at Leo out of the corner of his eye, Tsubasa couldn’t help thinking that Leo looked a bit like an overgrown puppy as the other man quickly reassured the petite woman of the accuracy of both paintings. His room had been farther down the hall than Tsubasa’s own, so Leo had seen the artwork of his white armor before they’d ventured downstairs. “Shall we go wait for your butler to pry Rei’s lazy ass out of bed, Kouga?”

“You, Leo, and Kaoru can, I’ll go see about helping Gonza get Rei up.” There was a faint hint of a smile on Kouga’s face as he watched Leo praise Kaoru’s artwork. Before he could even manage a step in the direction of Rei’s room, a small hand on his arm made him pause.

“I’ll do it. You all had a long night last night, so go and relax for a bit. Besides, I might have a trick up my sleeve to wake Rei-kun. It’s hard to sleep through being tickled, after all.” Kaoru gave Kouga a playful smile before stepping in his path.

Leaning down a bit, Kouga brushed his lips across Kaoru’s forehead, a bold move to make in the company of his fellow knights. “If I wasn’t so sure that you two treat each other the way I treat Jabi, I would be worried that you know where his ticklish spots are. Tell Gonza to go ahead and finish breakfast, then.”

“Hai, I can do that.” Kaoru laughed softly before spinning and heading down the hall toward the stairs that went up to the third floor. Pushing open the last door before the carpeted steps, she sent the butler on his way before looking at the sprawling mass in the middle of the bed. “Rei-kun, it’s time to wake up.”

The sprawled mass seemed to expand and take up even more space as an inarticulate groan of disagreement emanated from beneath the pillow.

Rolling her eyes, Kaoru shook her head with a smile. “Last chance, Rei-kun. If you don’t get up, I’ll have to tickle you.” When her words were met with a wordless whine, she couldn’t help giggling. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Climbing on the bed, Kaoru pushed the covers down some and danced her slim fingers along Rei’s ribs and spine.

Under the blankets, Rei’s eyes sprung open. Shit, he’d slept shirtless, which mean no semblance of protection against the assault. Squirming on the bed, he tried to move away from the skinny fingers attacking him. “O-oi! S-stop that!” It was nearly a miracle that he ended up on his feet on the opposite side of the bed rather than falling there in an ungainly heap. “So mean, Kaoru-chan! I was having a good dream, too!”

Clapping her hands in front of her face, Kaoru bowed her head and tried not to laugh. “Sorry, Rei-kun! I couldn’t resist doing that knowing Gonza had been in here for who knows how long trying to wake you up. He went downstairs to finish making lunch.”

Rei looked a bit sheepish at that. “Ok, ok, you’re forgiven. Is anyone else still sleeping, or am I the last one?” Digging through his bag, the long haired knight pulled out a clean shirt and socks before dressing quickly.

“You’re the last. Leo-kun and Tsubasa-san woke up on their own. I sent Kouga downstairs with them and offered to come help Gonza wake you up.” Hopping off the bed, Kaoru straightened her pant legs while she waited for Rei to get ready.

As soon as his boots and gloves were on and his shirt was tucked in, Rei flashed Kaoru a winning smile before walking over to hold the door for her. “After you, Kaoru-chan~.” He barely had a chance to shut the door behind them as they stepped into the hallway before the mural across from said door stunned him. Running his fingers along a painted blade, for a moment he was sure he would start bleeding. It looked so lifelike. “Wow, Kaoru-chan...you’ve outdone yourself.”

“So, I got your horse thing right?” With her hands clasped behind her back, Kaoru gave Rei an unsure look. It wasn’t that she lacked confidence in her art, but it matter much more to have people close to her enjoy her creations than it did to have strangers buy her books.

With a grin, Rei stepped away from the wall and scooped her up into a big hug. “You got Ginga done perfectly. The entire thing is perfect.” Really, he knew his armor was stunning and impressive in its own right, but being able to view Zero through Kaoru’s eyes was absolutely awe inspiring.

"I'm glad! I'm not sure I've ever seen him myself, so I had to guess based on what I could find in writing. Now if only I could do the same for Leo-kun and Tsubasa-san." The look of relief on Kaoru's face morphed into petulant frustration. "Do you think they'd be willing to show me their horse things?"

Rei pursed his lips in frustration for a moment before looking back down at Kaoru. "I'm not sure they have theirs yet. They might not have killed enough horrors." Before he could say more, his stomach growled quite loudly. The young man scratched the back of his head sheepishly before turning his back to the young woman who he considered his best friend. "Climb on. I'll carry you to breakfast."

 


	3. Chapter 3

As she climbed onto Rei's back, Kaoru couldn't help being relieved that she'd opted for a pair of pants instead of a skirt when she'd dressed several hours before. "Just promise me you won't fall and hurt us both on the stairs?" Her arms wound tightly around his shoulders as he stood and started walking.

"I promise that we won't fall. I will deliver you safe and sound to breakfast, and then Kouga will have no reason to want my head on a pike." With a laugh, Rei headed down the corridor.

It was kind of nice to get a piggyback ride, honestly. As they fell into a comfortable silence, Kaoru thought back to her childhood to try and remember the last time she had gotten one. Faint memories tried to surface, but none were very clear. Pushing the introspection aside, she made sure to stay as still as she could until the bottom of the stairs before speaking again. "We didn't really get a chance to talk yesterday and catch up."

"The Senate was pretty pushy about getting out and patrolling as soon as possible. Something you're digging for there, Kaoru-chan?" Smiling playfully, Rei turned to look at her as much as he could manage while carrying her.

Kaoru laughed softly and shook her head. "Mm, not really, just wondering how you and Jabi-san are doing."

Rei slowed his pace just a bit. "Oh, we broke up."

"Eh?! But why? You seemed so happy." 

Since they were almost to the dining room, Rei put Kaoru down and turned to face the petite woman. "The longer we were together, the less of a couple we became. We started being friends with benefits, and then friends not using said benefits. We still get along really well, and the decision was completely mutual. Besides, we both kind of have our eyes on other people."

Mollified by his words, Kaoru smiled up at Rei warmly. "As long as she didn't break your heart, I can accept that. I don't suppose I know who this other person you have your eye on is, do I?"

For better or worse, the artist smirking up at him was the only person who could make Rei blush. Silva had given him no end of grief when she'd realized that fact. "Yes, you know him."

"Him, huh? Interesting. So the is he a knight or someone uninvolved?" The only priests she knew were Jabi and Rekka, so Kaoru knew that Rei's mystery man wasn't one if he was involved in Makai business.

Rei looked positively bashful as he picked at imaginary bits of lint. "He's a knight. And that's all you're getting from me. I need food, before the others eat it all!"

"Fine, fine, I suppose we'd better get in there." With a soft giggle, Kaoru opened the door to the dining room and strode to her seat as though she and Rei weren't the least bit late. Nodding in thanks to Gonza as he pulled her chair out for her, she sat and surveyed the spread of western breakfast foods.

Dropping into the seat next to her, Rei went straight for the platter of waffles and French toast. Drowning both in syrup, he took a large bite and sighed happily. "Yum! You've outdone yourself, Gonza."

From his position behind Kouga, the aging butler smiled happily. "Thank you, Rei-sama."

Looking to his right, Kouga smiled softly at Kaoru and poured her a glass of juice. The pitcher had been easier for him to reach, after all, and it was by his own request that Gonza hadn't stepped in to do such a task for the woman next to him in the first place. "I take it he wasn't easy to wake up?"

It was really quite sweet that Kouga was pouring her drink for her, Kaoru felt. Shaking her head with a smile, she nibbled a bit of bacon before answering. "He wasn’t until I tickled him. We just took our time and caught up a bit since there wasn't time for that yesterday."

"Not sure how much there will be from here on out, either. There seems to have been a significant upswing in the number of horrors manifesting lately. The Senate wants us to go hunting for gates today and work on closing them." Looking up from his own plate piled high with more food than the skinny man looked capable of eating, Leo gave Kaoru an apologetic look.

Having figured that much, Kaoru just shook her head. "That's alright, Leo-kun. What you all do is important, so I know you'll be busy at times. I’m just glad you were all able to come back here and get a good night’s sleep last night.” Even though she barely knew Tsubasa, Kaoru worried about all four of the knights at the table. It was impossible not to, knowing what they handled on a regular basis, but she always did her best not to show how much she worried.

From his seat next to Leo, Tsubasa glanced over at Kaoru. “You’re much more understanding about all this than I would have expected from someone who wasn’t raised fighting horrors.”

“Well, there are several good reasons for that. Barago marked me as Messiah's vessel when I was a little girl, Kouga and Rei-kun both threatened to kill me repeatedly after I was splashed with horror blood, though Kouga decided to use me as bait instead, and Barago kept track of me by masquerading as the therapist I spent years going to.” All of those things were so matter of fact to Kaoru that she didn’t even bat an eye as the southern knight choked on his coffee.

Tsubasa cleared his throat and tried not to look as red-faced as he felt. His cup was safely back on the saucer on the table, where it would be staying for a while if he had any say on the matter. Hearing someone snickering, he looked up to see Rei’s shoulders shaking with barely suppressed laughter. Without thinking about it, Tsubasa’s right foot shot out under the table in an attempt to kick the man across from him in the shin. Since the table was too wide for that, he focused a weak spell to go with it, just to make sure Rei would still feel it.

Jumping just a little in his seat, Rei’s fork clattered as it fell on his plate. Reaching down to rub his shin, he gave Tsubasa a look of shock and incredulity. “Did you seriously just magic kick me?” At the head of the table, Kouga’s eggs were suddenly fascinating. Rei sat back up properly and pointed across the table at Tsubasa, who was looking decidedly smug. “You magic kicked me! I didn’t even do anything to deserve that!”

“You were laughing at me.” Tsubasa pointed back at Rei with a strip of bacon before bringing it to his lips and nearly biting it in half.

Rei looked positively affronted, though Kaoru and Leo could see it was all an act. “I did no such thing.”

Before the situation could dissolve into a battle of ‘did not’ versus ‘did too’, Kouga looked up from his plate and fixed both bickering knights with a stern look. “Children…” Kaoru really tried to keep a straight face, which was why she’d had to stop looking at Leo, since he was even closer to laughing then she was. They were both doing so well, too, until Rei and Tsubasa looked at Kouga and blamed each other in unison. At that point, Kouga’s look darkened a shade more. “I don’t care who started it. I’m ending it.” Risking a glance at each other, Leo and Kaoru dissolved into fits of laughter to the point they were nearly crying and couldn’t breathe. Even Gonza and the Madogu were all snickering as well, though none so loud as Zaruba.

Looking around in disbelief, Rei stabbed the last bite of waffle on his plate petulantly. Even Kouga was almost laughing at them! Glancing at the man at the head of the table, he could clearly see the golden knight’s mouth twitching at the corners in suppressed laughter. Fine, he could handle being laughed at. In fact, if Kouga was going to call them children…

Tsubasa had to admit the situation was pretty funny. He hadn’t really joked around like this since long before Rin had been born, it was rather refreshing. Looking up in time to see Rei sticking his tongue out from across the table, he snorted and shook his head in amusement. “Better keep that tucked away unless you’re prepared to use it.”

“I’m sure even you would be in awe of my skills if I did.” Rei gave Tsubasa a cheshire grin and tried not to look too pleased by the way Leo nearly spat water back into the glass he was drinking from.

“As entertaining as this has been, we should hurry and get back out there. Who knows how many more horrors have already come through.” Kouga’s words immediately sobered the group and urged them to hurry through the last bites of their meals. “Leo, you and Rei will take the southern half of town. I know there’s a lot to cover, so get as much as you can. Tsubasa, you and I will do the same with the northern half. Don’t wear yourselves out to the point you can’t get back here safely.”

“And I’ll be here working.” Sitting back in her chair, Kaoru smiled as she finished her juice. It kind of sucked to be left behind, but she knew she’d only be a hindrance to the knights if she tagged along even part of the way. “Be careful, all of you.”

“We will, Kaoru-san.” Leo nodded resolutely and smiled the puppy dog grin he reserved just for Kaoru. “Try not to worry too much, ok?” He knew better than to think she wouldn’t worry at all, that just wasn’t in her nature.

“I make no promises.” From the corner of her eye, Kaoru could see the look of contentment on Kouga’s face. She knew that he would deny it if asked, but he liked knowing that she worried.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Less than an hour later, the four knights were headed back out onto the streets. Heading south, Leo cast a tracking spell that would point him and Rei in the direction of any gates that needed to be sealed, which would make things easier for them.  As he walked along side the shorter knight, he couldn’t help starting up a conversation. “So, you and Kaoru-san seem to be close despite the way your relationship began.”

With his thumbs hooked in his pockets, Rei grinned and nodded. “Aa, I’m lucky she doesn’t hate me. But there hasn’t ever been anything romantic between us. I sort of tried at one point, but that was when I was still trying to kill her and Kouga both.”

“You tried to kill Kouga-san? Why?” Leo was honestly taken aback by that. He’d always thought the two of them got along well despite being so different.

“I spent quite a while thinking he was the one who had killed someone I had loved very dearly. As it turned out, it wasn’t Kouga, but Barago. I had never seen the murderer’s face, just his armor and his style of fighting. The style was identical to Kouga’s, and I thought the armor was too, but I was wrong.” Rei hopped up onto the edge of a cement planter and walked it like he was crossing a balance beam. “When I realized he was innocent, I apologized. I did what I could to help him save Kaoru-chan from becoming Messiah, too.”

Part of Leo felt like he should have been stunned into silence, but he couldn’t help being curious. And Rei certainly didn’t seem to mind sharing, so it was ok for him to ask for more details, right? “If not Kouga-san...then who was it who killed the person you loved?”

“Barago did.” Hopping back down to the sidewalk, Rei sighed softly. “It seems Barago had been a student of Kouga’s father’s, which is why he used the Garo style. But he wasn’t interested in waiting to see if he would be able to take over the title of Garo. He wanted to awaken the Kiba armor. In the dark, the two armors are indistinguishable when the only source of light is being cast from behind them. He was also the one who made Kouga an orphan.”

Glancing over, Leo’s eyes widened just a bit. Of course he had done his research on Kouga when he was informed that the Senate was assigning him to help the golden knight, but he’d never known about Barago being the one to kill the previous Garo. “Wow. I...I had no idea.”

“Kinda explains a lot about him, huh?” Rei smiled ruefully up at Leo. “I guess his mother had died when he was still a baby, so his father was the only blood relative he’d had left. At least, that’s what I heard when we were in Tsubasa’s village to help stop Legules. Kouga’s mom was from there originally.”

“I see. Hopefully he was able to learn more about her while you were both there.” Lapsing into a comfortable silence, Leo stewed on something Kaoru had said when they had been back at the manor. “...Did Kouga-san really use Kaoru-san as bait?” Personally, he just couldn’t see it. Kouga was so very protective of Kaoru, not to mention how much he indulged her.

Throwing his head back, Rei laughed heartily. “He did! I mean, I’m pretty sure he’d been trying to find a way to save her since the start, but she was definitely bait. He even had Zaruba make a small ring from himself to keep track of her with. Hard to believe when you watch them together, isn’t it.”

“Very much so.” Leo nodded fervently before reaching for his brush. It was habit to do so, even though he knew he ought to use his sword to close the gate they were nearing. Once it was sealed, he waited for the sensor to detect another before looking at Rei. “It is hard to believe, they make a good match. And speaking of good matches, how are you and Jabi-san?”

For someone who had gone from being an orphan to a knight in training with little interaction with little interaction with priests, it was a treat for Rei to be able to see Leo use his magic, even if the taller man was considered to be a knight in the eyes of the Senate. “Mm, we’re back to just being friends, really.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” Leo really, really wasn’t sorry at all.

Shaking his head, Rei kicked a rock and watched it jump and hop and roll down the sidewalk. “Nothing to be sorry about, it was a mutual decision. Not to mention a kind of natural progression. We just...didn’t have the chemistry we thought we had, and we both like other people. Things just slowly went from romantic to just friendly. It happens that way, sometimes.”

According to the things he and Sigma had studied as children to help blend in with mundane people, Leo had always thought relationships worked the opposite way. But those books and the very occasional movies had been works of fiction, he knew. More of a guideline than scripture. “So if it’s not Jabi-san, who do your thoughts dwell on?”

Rei smirked as he moved forward to close the next gate. “Nice try. I won’t even tell Kaoru, and she’s like a sister to me. You won’t be getting the answer to your question so easily, Leo.”

Across town and miles away, Tsubasa and Kouga’s patrol was going much more quietly. Neither of them were the type to be verbose at the best of times, and they certainly didn’t feel a need to fill silence with words. Still, there was no reason to be considered rude, and they did have some common interests. Kouga had never been good at starting conversations, but he figured there was no way to get better at that if he didn’t practice. “So...how are Rin’s studies coming along?”

Tsubasa did his best to not look as startled as he felt at the sound of Kouga’s voice. He hadn’t been expecting the other man to speak much, if at all. “As far as I can gather, they’re going well. I spoke with her before Leo and I ran into you and Kaoru-san in the hall, and all she could talk about was ‘Jabi-san taught me this’ and ‘there’s this really neat spell I learned from Jabi-san’. It was nearly a miracle that I managed to find out anything about the village, what with all her focus being on Jabi.”

Kouga chuckled softly at that. “I can’t say I’m shocked. Priest Amon wouldn’t task a child to bring back his favorite student if he didn’t have reason to, and they seem to have formed quite a bond. And as much of an annoyance as she is, Jabi is very talented.”

“I suppose she is. I’m just glad that she’s down there working with Rin since I’ve been assigned here. She’s gotten much more serious about teaching since breaking up with Rei.” As much as he was loathe to, Tsubasa had to admit that Jabi was one of the few people he would trust to protect his little sister.

Had he been anyone else, Kouga would have tripped a bit at hearing that Rei and Jabi were no longer a couple. But, rather than admit to being surprised by that information, he acted like his misstep had never occurred. “Perhaps they just weren’t right for each other. Better to know now than later on when things had gotten more serious.” And speaking of serious, a display of rings in the window of one of the shops caught his eye enough to pull him to a stop.

It took a moment to notice that Kouga was not right beside him anymore. Backtracking to where the other knight had gotten distracted, Tsubasa huffed in mild amusement as he watched Kouga stare at a display of engagement rings. “You know that’s not how we do it, right? Knights don’t buy rings like that to propose.”

"It's not?" A small frown of confusion crossed Kouga's face as he turned to look at Tsubasa.

Ushering his companion onward, Tsubasa shook his head. "Didn't anyone ever teach you?"

"My mother died before I was two, I watched Barago kill my father when I was six, I spent the rest of my childhood either training at one of the camps under Wataru, training with Rekka's father, or training alone being raised by Gonza. What do you think?"

Tsubasa had no comeback for that. Instead, he tried to figure out where to begin explaining things. Thankfully, Kouga's old teacher was finally settling down, so he was the perfect example. "Ok, well, I'm going to use Wataru-san as an example because he's in the process of doing all of this right now. He's marrying a priest from my own village, as a matter of fact. So the first thing he has to do is go to the strongest priest in her family other than her. In his case, that would be his intended's father. So with her father's help, Wataru-san will make a mirror for the girl he wants to marry, and her father will include spell work in the item."

Kouga nodded as he listened, it all seemed relatively basic. "What kind of spell work?"

"Mostly blessings for prosperity and happiness, usually with some for health and fertility thrown in the mix. But there will also be the first half of the marriage binding spell included." As they turned down a more secluded street, Tsubasa became a bit more animated, using his hands to gesture as he spoke. "When it's done, he will give the mirror to the girl he's proposing to. If she accepts, then she will craft an amulet for him in return that will hold protection spells."

"Does that have to be a specific item?"

Tsubasa shook his head. "No, it can be whatever she wants it to be. When the time comes for the marriage ceremony, the village elder will complete the marriage spell, which will bond the crafted mirror to Wataru-san's Madogu. A marriage spell works roughly the same as the contract between a knight and his Madogu, it is for life. But unlike the contract, a marriage spell can be broken if both parties want a divorce."

Drawing his sword, Kouga sealed another gate. "But Kaoru is not a priest, and she has no family. What am I supposed to do in that case?"

Frowning a bit, Tsubasa pondered that for a long moment. "I'll get in touch with the village elder and ask her. If anyone would know, it would be her."

"Thank you, I would appreciate that." Kouga offered a faint smile as they continued on. "Wataru is finally settling down, huh?"

"Yeah, seems that way. I was rather surprised as well, to be honest." Tsubasa gave a slight smirk of his own as they stepped back out onto a busier street. “So you want to marry Kaoru-san, huh?”

“I realize you don’t know her well, but why do you sound so surprised?” Tucking his sword back inside his coat, Kouga cocked an eyebrow at Tsubasa.

The staff fighter’s smirk just grew. “Well, I wasn’t sure I knew you well enough to guess if you would seek a wife or a husband.”

Kouga snorted in amusement. “You’re mistaking me for Leo, I see.”

Ignoring the looks that people were giving him, Tsubasa snickered under his breath. “I can’t say that surprises me about him. And why are so many people staring at us.” It was weirding him out a little that random people were pointing at them and even snapping pictures.

“They think we’re cosplaying something.” He’d gotten the same looks for a few years, so the pointing and staring was nothing new for Kouga. “Can’t handle city life, country boy?”

Tsubasa scowled at Kouga. “Of course I can handle it. It’s just something I’m not accustomed to yet.” There was no way he’d be beaten by something so pathetic as the culture shock that came from having spent his life in a small village before moving to a big city.

“Then step up and start carrying your weight. I’ve been the one doing all the work today.”

Since they were again turning down a less crowded street, Tsubasa flicked his staff and pushed at the back of Kouga’s left knee. “Stop hogging all the work, then. We’re supposed to be working together right now, not alone.”

Stumbling as his knee buckled, Kouga glowered over his shoulder. “Move faster, then. I haven’t got all night to wait for you to catch up.”

Growling at the challenge, Tsubasa hurried ahead. No way was he going to lose another one to Kouga!

 


	5. Chapter 5

Back in the southern half of the city, Rei and Leo had opted to take a break. They had found and sealed quite a few gates, and had even encountered several horrors. Hunkered down at a cafe, the taller knight’s eyes widened in shock as he watched Rei ordered every single item on the menu. The thought of that much sugar made him sick to his stomach, how was the skinny man across from him going to eat all that?

Looking up across the table, Rei gave Leo a quizzical look when he noticed the taller man hadn’t ordered anything. “Hey, are you feeling alright? You should eat, too.”

“Aa...maybe I’ll help you with some of those cakes you ordered? You did get quite a few…” Leo tried to brush off the shock of how much sugar there was going to be in front of them. Ordering just a glass of water to drink, he tried not to wonder how much of a sugar high Rei was going to end up with. “Do you do this often?”

“What, order every dessert off the menu? Mm, only when I’ve been sealing gates. It takes a lot out of a guy, and this is a quick way to recharge from that.” Dropping a few sugar cubes into his coffee as that came out nearly instantly with Leo’s water, Rei smiled easily. “Kaoru-chan has seen me do it before, too. She had a part time job at the cafe I ended up at. It was a complete coincidence. And I shouldn’t have gotten her to sit and chat with me while I was eating, but if I hadn’t I probably would have followed through on all my threats against her.”

Fiddling with his straw, Leo tried not to look to enraptured by the story. “This was back when she had been tainted still?”

Rei nodded. “Yeah, it was. I’m not like you and Tsubasa and Kouga, I wasn’t born into being a knight or a priest. I was a street kid living on my own and struggling to survive. The Zero before me saved me from a horror, but it had already thrown me around enough that I couldn’t get up. He knew I would die if he left me there, so in exchange for saving my life twice, he made me his apprentice. Adopted me into his family and everything. So I swore I would be the best knight I could be to repay his generosity.”

It seemed to Leo that horrors had a habit of making orphans. It was one of many reasons why he hated them. “I’m sure he’s proud of you, Rei-kun. You are an amazing knight.” The words came from his heart, deep inside.

“Aa, maybe so. Still not better than Kouga, but that’s just different upbringings and motivations, I think. Besides, he’s not really any better than me. When we would cross swords when I still thought he was a killer, neither of us could win. And we fought every time we ran into each other.” The cakes were starting to arrive as well, so Rei sat up in his seat and began sampling them at random.

Leo took the second fork from the waitress with a shy smile before reaching for a tiramisu. “But you seem like close friends, now. He and Kaoru-san both care a great deal for you, you know. I think you’re very lucky for that.”

Rei actually blushed a bit, something he never did. “More like lucky I haven’t driven them both up the wall.” Talking about himself was getting to be a bit awkward, so he changed the subject. “Think we’ll see anymore horrors after this? Or just gates?”

“You know, I’m not sure. I wouldn’t rule it out, though. But is it just me, or are they going after the easy targets as hosts, anymore? Road construction, cleaners, part timers, people who are the least likely to be noticed when they start acting odd.” Following the topic shift, Leo mentioned something that he should have noticed much sooner than today.

Pausing mid bite, Rei chewed very deliberately. “You know, you have a point. I didn’t pick up on it until you said something, but the last twenty or so horrors that we’ve wiped out in the last, what, eight days? They’ve all fallen into one of those categories.”

Leo frowned a bit and grabbed another dessert. Maybe there was a logic behind Rei’s method. “We’ll have to talk to Kouga-san and Tsubasa-san to see if they’re seeing the same pattern. There are only a few gates left for us to close in our zone, should we go find them tonight?”

Rei shook his head and dug into a thick slice of something chocolatey. “No, when we get done, we go home. That way, Kaoru-chan and Gonza have protection.”

“I suppose that does make sense. Though, you know, I have been hearing rumors from the Senate about Kaoru-san.” Nodding in acknowledgement, Leo flagged the waitress so they could get their drinks refilled.

Leaning forward conspiratorially, Rei rested his elbows on the table as he ate the chocolate thing in ways that Leo’s mind was taking totally out of context. “What kind of rumors? Like rumors that she and Kouga will get married? Which I honestly don’t expect to see happen for a few years yet. He has a lot of growing up to do, emotionally.”

“Well, there was that one. And as much as I respect him, I do agree with your assessment of Kouga-san. Kaoru-san might understand his feelings for her, but I’m sure she would still appreciate verbal confirmation of them.” Leo laughed softly and leaned forward as well. “There’s talk that she should be trained. As a priest.”

“No way! Kaoru-chan, a priest?” Rei couldn’t believe his ears. Wasn’t she much too old for that? But then again, Barago had already been an adult when he had started learning from Saejima Taiga, right? “What’s stopping them?”

With a shrug, Leo caved to temptation and stole the last bite from Rei’s current plate. “I don’t know. I think if they’re going to do it, they need to just do it. But it could be a matter of who can they send to train her that Kouga-san and the rest of us would trust? I’m not even in the running for that, they want me focused as a knight, not a priest.”

“That does make for a damn short list. And you know neither of them would ever agree to her going and staying with the Senate to study.” Pouting as the last morsel was stolen out from under him, Rei just put the empty plate aside and grabbed another. They were making progress on the order, at least.

“Absolutely not! But then, the Senate doesn’t have any information on her, either. I can just see some of them flipping out when she uses her spell brush as a paint brush on accident.” Leo was amazed he had eaten so many sweets without feeling sick. It had to be a first for him.

Rei nearly snorted meringue out his nose at that. “It’ll be lucky to make it two weeks without that happening! And then she’ll probably panic and worry that she’s ruined it, Then Kouga will get pissy that she’s upset.”

Leo couldn’t help laughing at that. “They can be quite a pair when they’re angry, I’m sure. Have they ever fought?”

“Um, Gonza would be more of an expert on that than me, but I’m sure they’ve had some world changers. I’m not sure if I would want to watch that or run and hide from it.” Shaking his head, Rei chuckled and shook his head.

“I think that would be something to stay well away from, honestly. As good as they are together, I imagine they can really get under each other’s skin.” Averting his eyes to his plate, Leo refused to put words to the jealousy stirring in his gut. He wanted that sort of closeness for himself, but he’d never had it. He and Sigma had always been pitted against each other so often, despite the connection they’d always had as twins. It was one of the reasons he couldn’t stomach what his brother had done, especially not when the girl they had both loved had ended up sacrificed to the so called cause.

Rei and Leo finished the rest of the desserts in silence before splitting the tab. Walking away, the two of them headed off to the last few gates in their area. They kept track of any horrors they ran across, making note of how the hosts were dressed. It seemed the pattern was correct and continuing, which was worrying to say the least. When they sealed the last gate, they headed for home.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Back at the mansion, Kaoru had finally gotten a surge of inspiration. If the histories weren’t going to help her, she would just use creative license on the horse things for the white and bronze knights in her story. Slipping away to her studio, she covered one wall in blank paper from the large roll in the corner. Picking up a fresh charcoal, she started sketching and drafting ideas. She used long strokes in some spots, short ones in others, all to get different perspectives on what the cartoony horses would look like. Of course, she was still finalizing details on the actual armors, but that was unimportant. Ideally, she would get to see Leo and Tsubasa in their armors, but was that too much of a personal question? Pushing the thought aside, she focused on her charcoal drawings until Gonza came and interrupted her. "Kaoru-sama? Leo-sama and Rei-sama have returned."

"Any sight of Kouga and Tsubasa-san?" She tucked hair behind her ear and smeared black along the shell of it without realizing.

Stepping inside the room, Rei spotted the smudges right away and grinned. Walking over, he rubbed it off as best he could. "Nah, we didn't see them after we split up. I'm sure they'll be back soon. Looks like you've been busy in here, what with all the paper on the walls."

"Rei-kun, that tickles!" Kaoru squirmed away from his touch with a laugh before turning to the sheets of paper. "Character designs for my next book. The Golden Knight will be going on a journey with his friends, this time."

Leo smiled and pointed to one of the drafted knights. "Who is this one modeled for?"

Following his finger, Kaoru grinned. "You, Leo-kun. Though I'm not sure I'm doing a proper job."

Rei smirked as he slung an arm around Kaoru's shoulder. "Would it help if you could see his armor up close? You'd only have about ninety nine seconds, mind you."

"Honestly, it really would, but I don't want to be rude if that's not appropriate to ask." Fidgeting slightly, Kaoru gave Leo a bashful smile.

"It's not rude at all, Kaoru-san. I would be honored to model for you, you're putting me in a book, after all!" The puppy dog smile was back in full force as Leo beamed at at Kaoru.

If the taller knight had a tail, Rei was certain it would be wagging madly. He thought it was cute how much of an eager puppy Leo became anytime Kaoru asked for anything, though he knew he wasn't much better. "Looks like you have a rather willing model, ne, Kaoru-chan?"

Kaoru smiled brightly in return at both men before turning to. Leo. "Is there enough room in here for you to do that?" She was more than willing to change location if need be, it would just take her a moment to get what she needed.

Leo shook his head and drew his sword. "Oh yes, there is more than enough room. Just, stand back a bit? I would hate for you to get accidentally injured."

"I can do that." In fact, Kaoru did more than just step back. She walked to the far corner and pulled a blank pad of sketch paper from a stack before grabbing a sharp pencil. Turning around, she stayed where she was and waited.

Once she was out of the way, Leo summoned his armor. As he felt it covering him, he couldn't help glancing at Rei through his lashes. It had to be just his imagination that the other knight was giving him an appreciative look, there was no reason for that to be real. Unless it was in appreciation for how easily he was cooperating with Kaoru for the sake of her art and livelihood? Yes, that had to be it.

No matter how many times he saw it, Rei was always fascinated by seeing other knights don their armors. There was something about the inherent magic in it that captivated him. Of course, with Leo it was more than just the armor that was enchanting to watch, there was also the man within it. Once the bronze armor was fully in place, he kept a mental tally of how much time was left so he could tell Kaoru to stop and back away again. And speaking of the artist, he turned to motion her forward only to be almost bowled over as she rushed in, obviously eager to take full advantage of her chance.

Kaoru examined the armor from every angle, though she focused most on the helm and the sword. Since it would take too long to drag over a stool, she was straining to get up high enough to see all the fine details, but that was frustrating and tiresome. "I'm sorry, Leo-kun, but could I have you kneel down? I just need a better look."

"Of course, Kaoru-san." Smiling behind the face of his armor, Leo dropped to one knee. He knew he was significantly taller than she was, but he hadn't been sure that she would want him lower down from the start.

"Much better, thank you." With a warm smile, Kaoru leaned in to make sure she knew every detail. Her final version would not be so detailed, but that was alright. It didn't need to be, after all.

Rei stood back and observed the scene with a fond smile. When the time limit got a little close for his comfort, he spoke up. "Time. Leo, drop your armor."

Leo cast his armor off and rose to his feet slowly. After what a long afternoon and evening he and Rei had had, his legs were a little tired and sore. Not because he was out of shape by any stretch of the imagination, gate sealing was just a very draining task when there were active horrors to contend with at the same time. “Did you get what you needed, Kaoru-san?”

Nodding happily, she closed the sketch book and set it aside. “I did, thank you. I really appreciate your help, Leo-kun.” Smiling at both men, she blushed when her stomach suddenly growled.

“Kaoru-chan,” Rei began, his tone like what one would use when speaking to a child, “when was the last time you ate?”

“Um…before everyone left to go take care of closing gates to keep more horrors from coming through…?” She looked thoroughly sheepish, but it wasn’t new. When she was in the zone, Kaoru could create all day long without stopping. “I guess we should go see if Gonza-san left anything for us.”

Shaking his head, Rei steered her toward the door. “Go wash up, first, you have charcoal on your hands and face.” Honestly, if the aging butler had already made something that could be warmed up, there was no way he was letting her anywhere near it. He hadn’t ever sampled Kaoru’s cooking before, but he’d heard the stories from both Gonza and Kouga. “Leo and I will meet you downstairs.”

With a soft laugh, Kaoru tried not to stumble out the door before heading for the nearest washroom. In the mirror, she was a bit surprised to see how little charcoal she had on her skin. Normally, when she opted for that particular medium, she was much messier. With a shrug, she washed her hands and face until the water ran clear. Once done, Kaoru walked to the dining room just in time to see Rei bringing a pot of curry in to set on a hot pad at the table. “Is there rice, too? Or just the curry?”

“The rice should be just about ready. It seems Gonza had it all prepped ahead of time and then waited to start it until Leo and I got back. I told him we could manage for ourselves so he could call it a night if he wanted to.” Once the pot was in place, Rei stood upright again and moved to pull out the chair at the head of the table. “Go ahead and have a seat, Kaoru-chan.”

“Thank [a][b]  you, Rei-kun.” Kaoru smiled and gave a mock curtsy before taking the seat normally reserved for Kouga. It would be strange eating with just Rei and Leo, but not in a bad way. As the long haired knight left to go get the rice, she stretched and sighed and did her best to be patient.

Moments later, Rei returned with the rice, and two more in tow. Kouga and Tsubasa had just returned, and were each carrying an extra set of dishes for themselves. Rei set the rice down before snatching the dishes in Kouga’s hands and walking around the table to sit next to Leo, once again across from Tsubasa. “There. Now we can all sit and eat.”

It was interesting to Kouga to have switched places with Kaoru, but he hadn’t seen a reason to make her move from the head of the table. Before he sat, however, he served rice and curry to the other four dining with him, like a proper host ought to. It was so tempting to just devour the savory dish, Gonza’s curry had been a weakness of his since childhood, but Kouga resisted. Barely. “So how much did we miss Gonza by?”

“Mm, maybe five minutes? If that, even. I assured him that we could take care of ourselves and not trash the place.” Rei shrugged and went for a second helping, his first having already been virtually inhaled.

Looking over at the silver knight, Kouga smirked faintly. “So you promised to keep Kaoru out of the kitchen, I take it?” He knew he was going to be in trouble for that, but he just couldn’t resist.

“Hey! I’m not that bad!” It was a stretch, but Kaoru was able to reach over to just barely smack Kouga’s shoulder, though she wasn’t sure he felt it. Pouting mostly for show, she had to fight the urge to laugh. It had taken a great deal of pride-swallowing to admit that she was really much worse.

“To avoid getting myself into more trouble, I’m not going to answer that.” Laughing softly, Kouga could see the way the corners of Kaoru’s mouth were twitching. It was really rather cute how she was fighting so hard to keep a straight face. “Anyway,” turning back to Rei and Leo, he changed the topic, “how did it go? Did you close all the gates?”

Sitting up straight in his chair, Leo did his best to appear confident in front of Kouga. He admired the golden knight too much to do otherwise. “We did. And we also noticed a pattern, too.”

That got Tsubasa’s attention. The southerner sat forward a bit more, fixing Leo with an intense gaze. “What pattern?”

“Well, think about the horrors we’ve been fighting recently. Twenty horrors in eight days, plus the six we ran into while closing gates today, and all of them have been the type of people that don’t get much notice. Part time workers, construction crew members, maintenance and custodial crew members. There is a something going on.” The room fell silent in the wake of Leo’s words.

Even though she wasn’t involved in the fighting, Kaoru still paid careful attention to what was going on. “Could it be possible that the horrors are learning?”

“Learning how?” Rei wasn’t quite sure what she was getting at.

Shifting in her seat, Kaoru tried to find the words she was looking for. “Well, think about it. How many people could a horror target and pick out in a day as someone in one of the fields Leo-kun mentioned? They are the type that most working people don’t notice much. Sure, office workers know there are custodians in their offices, and sure, we all see part time workers every day. But seeing and noticing are different. I’ve been a part timer, and I’ve done, at one point or another, all those jobs that Leo-kun mentioned. People know you’re there, sure, but not a one of them pays any attention to details. What better way to blend in?”

 The four knights fell silent at that. Kaoru had an excellent point, really. After several long moments, Tsubasa nodded. “Right, that’s pretty clever of them. I’ll take it to the Senate tomorrow and see what they think. Grace sent a message while Kouga and I were out that she wants to see me bright and early anyway.”

“Did she say what for?” Rei peered across the table curiously.

Tsubasa shook his head and moved to stand. “No, she didn’t. But I think I’ll call it a night as soon as I get my dishes taken care of. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

“Oh, just leave them and I can wash them up, Tsubasa-kun.” Kaoru could see how worn out he was, not that the other three were in much better shape. “You worked hard today, so you deserve a chance to rest.”

“Thank you, Kaoru-san.” With a small bow, Tsubasa took his things to the kitchen and headed upstairs.

“I think I’ll call it a night as well.” Leo was the next to leave the table, though Rei followed close behind. Neither wanted to leave all the dishes to Kaoru, so they washed their own and placed everything in the drainer next to the sink. As the pair headed upstairs, Leo kept sneaking glances over at his companion.

Feeling eyes on him every now and then, Rei timed it as best he could to catch Leo’s gaze. When he did, he smiled softly and tipped his head. “What’s up?”

“Aa...nothing.” Smiling Leo tried to play off his staring. He was too embarrassed to admit the real reasons why his eyes kept gravitating toward the shorter man. Rei was really quite stunning to look at, both on the surface as well as the things beneath that. The things that made him the man he was.

“You sure?” Rei raised an eyebrow curiously. He didn’t want to be too pushy and piss Leo off, but maybe a little bit of prodding would be good. The taller man was such a quiet person that he just couldn’t help pushing and prying a little bit. “Maybe we can have an easy day of things tomorrow. I mean, we closed every gate we could find, that ought to hold for a little while.”

Leo nodded as they reached the door to his room. “Yeah, I’m sure. And I think you’re right. Unless there’s an order from Grace-san, I think we can get away with relaxing a bit.” He was thankful that his hands were in his pockets, it meant he couldn’t fidget as they stood in the hallway.

Taking Leo at his word, Rei reached out to pat Leo on the arm. “I had fun working with you today, we should do it again sometime.” He tried to keep his hand from lingering too long, lest Leo become suspicious, but he was also reluctant to pull away. “I should let you get some rest now, though.”

Hearing that Rei had enjoyed being partnered with him made Leo grin happily. “Ok, we can do that. And you should rest, too. All those desserts are wearing off now, right?” Even through the layers of leather and cotton on his arm, he could feel the weight of Rei’s hand. It was kind of...nice. Yes, nice was a good word for it. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Rei-kun.”

“Aa, yeah, I could use some sleep. Good night, Leo.” Dropping his arm to his side, Rei grinned back before turning and going to his own room. Hopefully, he would have a night of very pleasant dreams instead of his usual nightmares.

Down in the dining room, Kouga and Kaoru worked to clear the table and put the rest of the rice and curry in the fridge for the next day. As she scrubbed the few remaining dishes, Kaoru smiled as she felt Kouga’s arms wind around her from behind. “Hey. Did you have a productive day?”

Kouga pressed his face against her hair and smiled. The height difference between them was almost comical, but he liked it. She fit against him so nicely from really any angle that way. “Yes, I did. Tsubasa and I got almost all of the gates closed, but the ones we didn’t get to will be fine for now. How about you, did you figure out what you needed?”

“Almost. Gonza helped me hang sheets of paper over one of the walls in the studio so I could brainstorm and draft, and Leo-kun was nice enough to let me get an up close look at his armor. Now I just have to see if Tsubasa-san will be willing to do the same. I’m just not sure how to ask him about it.” Kaoru leaned back against Kouga as much as she could while washing dishes. She treasured moments like that where they could have such a quiet intimacy.

"I think he would be willing if you ask him. Perhaps after he returns tomorrow?" Kouga released Kaoru reluctantly and reached for a dish towel. As long as he was out there, he could at least be helpful. "I don't intend for anyone to go out patrolling for a few days unless the Senate orders otherwise. We all need a chance to rest and recharge properly, any additional time can go toward training or just a break in general. I know Rei would appreciate that."

With a smile, Kaoru leaned against Kouga's arm as she put the last item in the drainer for him and emptied the sink. "And what do you intend to do with that break time?" She knew she could come up with a list of ideas that would involve possible seeing him in street clothes. Kaoru knew he owned some, she saw them in the closet all the time. But not once in the time they'd known each other had she ever seen Kouga dress down.

Chuckling softly, Kouga kept drying and stacking dishes so they could be put away. "I don't know yet. But I have a feeling you have a few ideas on the matter." Not that he minded, of course. Kaoru had been through so much because of his world, horrors and evil knights and jilted priests, that Kouga saw nothing wrong with attempting to be more normal from time to time. And he could always ask the others to be on standby just in case something happened.

Kaoru grinned as she watched Kouga start putting things away where they belonged so that Gonza wouldn't nag anyone in the morning. "Oh, I could think of a few. There's an exhibit coming up that I have some works in, and the amusement park is always an option. Or, we could be completely and totally mundane and normal and go shopping. There's a new art store opening in one of the shopping malls in town."

Once all the dishes were in their proper places, Kouga rested his hand on Kaoru’s lower back. Guiding her toward the stairs, he smirked some. “Have you already contacted them to see if they deliver oversized canvases? Because otherwise, you’ll be limited on what you can get.”

The hand on her back was warm and comforting, and Kaoru leaned toward Kouga as they climbed the stairs. “I...may have made a phone call or two. Possibly.” She toyed with the hem of her shirt and resisted the urge to yawn.

Kouga just shook his head at that. Really, he should have expected as much. Kaoru knew every art supply store in the city, as well as every gallery. If he asked, he was fairly sure that she could even give him the pros and cons of each in great detail. “We can talk about it more tomorrow after we find out what the Senate wants with Tsubasa.”

“Alright. It has been a long day, huh?” Opening the door to their bedroom, Kaoru navigated to Kouga’s nightstand- it was the one closer to the door- with an ease that spoke of a great deal of practice and turned on the lamp. “Do you want me to set an alarm, or not?”

“No, I’m sure I’ll wake early enough.” Operating on autopilot, Kouga prepared for bed. It was the same routine he’d done for years, mostly. Except now he had another person to move around and share space with, not that he was against that in any way.

Kaoru nodded and prepared for bed as well. Once they were both done and settled in bed, she indulged in her newest habit. Resting her head on Kouga’s firm chest, Kaoru sighed happily. “Goodnight, Kouga.”

Reaching over, Kouga switched the light off, plunging the room into darkness. His arms wound around the small woman tucked against his side. “Goodnight, Kaoru.”

 


	7. Chapter 7

The next day arrived far too early, in Kouga’s opinion. Nevertheless, he was up, and he knew better than to think he would be able to fall back asleep. That was a feat he could only manage when ill or severely sleep deprived. Slipping out of bed as quietly as possible, he smiled at the sight of Kaoru invading his half of the soft mattress. Sneaking off to the shower, he couldn’t help thinking of what he and Tsubasa had discussed the day before. Kaoru wasn’t a priest, so wouldn’t that change things? But how would it change them? Perhaps a talk with Grace would be for the best. The problem was, when? She was his liaison from the Senate, but she did have other duties to attend. Sighing harshly, he did his best to put the matter out of his head as he dressed for the day. Crossing back to the bed, he sat on the edge and gently tucked a few loose strands of hair behind Kaoru’s ear.

Stirring at the soft touch, Kaoru groaned and tried to pull the covers back over her head. She had never been legitimately accused of being a morning person, and saw no reason to change that habit now.  She whined as a strong hand kept her from pulling the covers up, and cracked one eye open to shoot what was meant to be a deadly glare in their direction. “Too early…”

Kouga couldn’t help laughing softly at the petulant pout and muffled whine. “I know it’s early, but you should get up. It’ll be time for breakfast soon, you know. And I’m sure Gonza will have your favorite coffee ready for you.” What he wasn’t saying was that he wanted to pick her brain on the pattern of the recent horrors more. Perhaps she could provide more insight into the types of places he and the other three knights needed to keep an eye on.

Kaoru did enjoy the coffee that Gonza always made for her in the mornings, and mention of it was usually enough to draw her away from the lure of a day in bed. But Kouga didn’t need to know that. Groaning as she threw the covers off, she did her best to make it look like waking up was the absolute last thing she wanted to do. “Fine...I’ll get up. Go protect my coffee from Rei-kun.” She shoved Kouga toward the door half-heartedly before shuffling in the direction of a nice hot shower. That usually did a great job of perking her up a bit.

“Alright. I’ll keep him from drinking your coffee. I assume you also want me to leave him alive and with both his hands, right?” Kouga couldn’t help smirking as he strode toward the door. In a way, he was glad that Rei and Kaoru were so close. After how things had started between them, it was good to see the silver knight and artist as such good friends.

“Yes, of course. But if you have to maim him just a little, don’t let him bleed in my cup.” It was hard for Kaoru to keep from laughing as she stepped into the bathroom. She turned the shower on to let the water start heating in the hope that the sound of it would drown out her quiet giggles. She could already picture Rei pouting at her over what she’d said, but she had no intention of taking it back.

Downstairs, Tsubasa stormed back into the mansion with a virtual dark cloud trailing along above his head. He’d been sleeping soundly, and having a very pleasant dream, when an urgent missive from Grace and the Senate woke him up. So naturally, he’d rushed there as fast as he could, thinking that something was wrong, most likely with his sister. Instead, he found out that one of the biggest headaches in his entire life was there waiting. To make matters worse, she had specifically requested his presence. The white knight had remained as polite and professional as possible while at the Senate, but the second he and his ‘charge’ were out the door and on their way back, he became downright surly. In the foyer, he spun on his heel and pointed an accusatory finger at the woman with him. “Why the hell did you need me to come escort you! You’re perfectly able to handle yourself, after all.”

“Well, if you hadn’t spent the entire way back here grumping like a child, I would have told you that Rin sends her regards, and I have left her in the very capable hands of the village elder to be trained. She also sent this.” Reaching inside her outer robe, Jabi pulled a small charm from a hidden pocket and handed it to Tsubasa. “A good luck charm imbued with all the love and positivity of a little sister who adores you.”

Reaching out, Tsubasa snagged the charm from Jabi almost violently. “And you couldn’t have mentioned this back at the Senate? You came all this way just to deliver a little trinket?” As much as he tried to sound annoyed, he really did appreciate the gift from his sister. He missed getting to see her and play with her, but hunting horrors was an important job. Rin understood that, he was sure.

Jabi rolled her eyes at Tsubasa. “I was already going to be coming here. I brought that along because Rin asked me to, and she’s such a sweet girl that I had no reason to refuse her. So don’t go thinking you’re something special when you aren’t, Tsubasa. Besides, what crawled up your ass and died to give you such a lousy attitude this morning?”

Growling, Tsubasa tucked the charm in his pocket before getting in Jabi’s face. “How about the fact that I am running on about three hours of sleep because after a long afternoon and night of closing gates in the northern half of the city with Kouga, I had to deal with insomnia that kept me up until well past midnight. And to top that off, you couldn’t have even waited one more fucking hour before demanding that I hurry up and get to the Senate just to escort you here? You’re a grown woman, and I know you’re a powerful priest, Jabi. You couldn’t have come here yourself and spared me wasting my time?”

“Was it really a waste? I heard what you were asking Grace about, that pattern with the horrors. Was it a waste to get time to talk to her about that while things were slow for the Senate?” Crossing her arms, Jabi shifted her weight to one foot while she waited for Tsubasa to end his rant. And really, did he have to be so handsome at the same time? She was going to start enjoying it too much when he yelled at her at this rate.

The tips of Tsubasa’s ears turned pink as he spun around to put his back to the priest. “Why are you here instead of training my sister down in Kansai, like you were supposed to be?”

Relaxing her stance, Jabi inspected her fingernails idly. “The Senate has asked me to train someone else, instead. But don’t worry, Rin has excellent teachers in the village. She’ll learn well and grow strong.”

“Why couldn’t they get someone else to train this child? You were busy.” As much as he was loathe to admit it, Jabi was one of the best priests alive. He couldn’t help being jealous of whoever was going to be trained by her.

Oh, now that was an interesting reaction. Strutting over to stand in front of Tsubasa, Jabi raised an eyebrow at him as she crossed her arms over her ribs. “What’s the matter, Tsubasa-kun~? Are you jealous that someone else will be my student?”

All Tsubasa could do was sputter uselessly and fight a losing battle against the red threatening to color every visible inch of his skin. “Wha-? N-no! I just…”

“Jabi, what did you do to him this time?” Kouga’s voice was full of fond exasperation as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He had heard only a snippet of the conversation, but that was alright for the time being. Taking a closer look at Tsubasa, he decided to try and spare the other man further humiliation, for Rin’s sake. “Tsubasa, go tell Gonza there will be one more for breakfast, please?”

Nodding at the request, Tsubasa left as quickly as he could while preserving what was left of his dignity. He would need to thank Kouga for that later on. He hated that Jabi got under his skin so much, but he knew himself well enough to understand why. He couldn’t keep up with her teasing and bantering, and took many of her teasing comments too much to heart. It was something he was trying to get better at, but that was much easier said than done.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Once Tsubasa had left the room, Jabi turned to Kouga with a bright smile. “How have you been, Kouga? It’s been a while since the last time we talked. Kaoru hasn’t given up on you yet, I take it?”

“Of course she hasn’t. She’s upstairs getting ready for the day. You didn’t bring Rin with you?” The urge to stick his tongue out at Jabi, like he would have done before his father died, was strong. Kouga resisted, though, and tried not to be disappointed that the young girl was noticeably absent. Even though she had damaged one of his favorite paintings, he was quite fond of her.

“Nope. I’m here on assignment from the Senate. Which means you’re stuck with me for a good long while.” Grinning, she clasped her hands behind her back. “Think you can handle that?”

Kouga snorted in amusement as he led her toward the dining room. “I’m sure I’ll handle it much better than Tsubasa will. What’s your assignment?” He was almost certain the Senate hadn’t pulled her in to work with him and the other three knights in the house, Leo was more than skilled enough to balance magic with the duties of a knight.

Dropping into a chair at random, Jabi shook her head. “All in due time, Kouga. All in due time. The place looks nice, though. I like it much better than what I can vaguely remember of it as a child. It feels…”

“More like a home.” Rei yawned as he shuffled into the room, Leo trailing right behind. The taller man looked far more awake, clearly he was one of those supposed ‘morning people.’ Seeing the steaming cup of coffee sitting to Kouga’s right, Rei pointed to it and addressed the man at the head of the table. “How much trouble am I in if I drink that cup?”

“As long as I don’t cut your hands off and you don’t bleed into the cup, I’m allowed to maim you.” There was a smirk on Kouga’s face as he leaned back in his seat. From the corner of his eye, he could see the puzzled look on Jabi’s face as she kept switching her gaze between Rei and himself. “I wouldn’t risk it if I were you. There are other empty cups, and I’m sure Gonza made a whole pot of coffee.

As if on cue, the older man came out with an empty cup in one hand and a tall coffee pot in the other. “Of course I did, Kouga-sama. I know that Kaoru-sama and Rei-sama both prefer it in the mornings.” Setting the empty cup in front of Rei, he filled it nearly to the brim, leaving just enough space for all the sugar that the silver knight would invariably add to the hot drink.

Reaching for the sugar bowl, Rei dropped a good five cubes into his cup before giving the butler the best smile he could manage so early in the morning. “You’re the best, Gonza. Thank you.”

“You are quite welcome, Rei-sama.” Chuckling softly, Gonza patted Rei’s shoulder affectionately. “Jabi-sama, would you like some coffee? Or should I prepare something else for you?”

Never having been a fan of the dark and bitter drink her ex adored, Jabi smiled at Gonza’s offer. “Some tea, if you don’t mind. I’m not picky on the type.” Though knowing Kouga, it would be mostly plain black or plain green tea. He wasn’t the type to go for herbal teas without needing them, and the flavored varieties were usually too sweet for the golden knight’s tastes.

Gonza nodded and excused himself just in time for Kaoru and Tsubasa to walk into the room. No one said a word as the white knight took the farthest seat he could reasonably take from Jabi without it being glaringly obvious that he was doing so. He very nearly cringed as Kaoru greeted the other woman enthusiastically before sitting. Pouring himself a glass of juice, he refused to let his mind go off on any tangents about how any possible apologies for his past behavior would go.

Kaoru reached for her coffee and drank it with a sigh of happiness, Gonza made a better brew than any coffee shop she’d ever been to. She cradled the cup in her hands as breakfast was served, leaning back to stay out of the way of the plate. “So, what brings you by, Jabi-san?”

Wisely waiting until no one was drinking or eating, and no food or beverage was at risk of being spilled or dropped, Jabi smiled across the table at Kaoru. “I’ve been sent by the Senate to teach you how to be a priest, Kaoru.”

Most everyone in the room looked at Jabi and let out varied exclamations of surprise. The exception being, of course, Leo, who simply commented softly that the rumors had been true after all. No one was more shocked than Kaoru, herself. “Eh?! But...aren’t I too old to learn all that? And is it even possible for me to learn? I wasn’t born into a family that is involved in the Makai stuff.”

Leaning forward, Jabi sipped her tea and laughed softly. “You’re not too old, I promise. The language of the spells might trip you up a little, but you’re a very intelligent woman, I’m sure you won’t struggle with it much. And it doesn’t matter that you aren’t from a specific bloodline, the abilities of a priest can be taught to anyone. Because you aren’t powering the magic, you’re just a conduit for it.”

“Jabi-san is right. The magic used in spells exists in everything. The ground, the air, other living beings, you name it. All you do is channel it through yourself and focus it into producing the outcome you want.” Leo nodded intently, a little smile on his face. “And don’t worry, I don’t think a little paint in the bristles would ruin any brush you use to cast spells with.”

“Why would there be paint in the bristles of her spell brush?” Jabi turned to look at Leo from across the table and slightly to her left.

Feeling relieved, and a little excited at the prospect of learning spells, Kaoru explained it to the other woman. “I’m an artist, Jabi-san. Any brush I have at hand will end up being used to paint with at some point, whether it’s meant for it or not. It’s a bad habit, but I’ve never broken it in the past. And I have tried.”

Jabi laughed and shook her head. “I see. I had forgotten about you being an artist. Thankfully, there is a quick spell that can be done to clean things, including a spell brush. I’ll teach you that one first.” Glancing at Kouga, she gave her childhood friend a concerned look. “Kouga...are you alright? You look…”

“Constipated?” Rei ever so helpfully piped up before dissolving into a fit of giggles at the withering glare sent his way. “I’m kidding! Geez, and here I thought you had a sense of humor now. But alas, it was all a lie!” He very dramatically sank back into his chair with the back of his hand to his brow. That lasted all of less than ten seconds before the laughter coming from Jabi, Kaoru, and Leo had him cracking up as well.

Fighting a smirk of amusement, Kouga focused back on his food. “You need your head examined, Rei. I think you’ve been hit there a few too many times. Better make sure you didn’t get anything too important knocked loose.”

 


	9. Chapter 9

After breakfast ended and the girls went to go find a good place to practice, Kouga pulled Leo aside. He led the taller knight to the study and made sure the door was shut tightly before doing something he rarely ever did; he walked to the sidebar and poured himself a shot of brandy. Leo frowned in concern and fidgeted as he waited for Kouga to speak. “Leo, I was hoping to ask a favor of you.”

“What is it, Kouga-san? You know I’d be more than happy to help out however I can.” Leo hoped he didn’t sound too eager, but he honestly didn’t care too terribly much. Kouga had been one of the first to accept him again after discovering the one who had tried to kill all the knights was his own identical twin.

“I don’t want you to go out of your way to do this, but when you have time, can you go peek in on Kaoru’s lessons with Jabi?” There was a shyly hopeful look in Kouga’s eyes as he set the glass down and turned to look up at Leo.

The request was a bit perplexing, but Leo saw no reason why he couldn’t go through with it. “Certainly, Kouga-san. I can do that. I take it...you have a particular reason to be concerned about Jabi-san’s teaching method?” Not that he could see why, of course. While people had hailed him as Amon’s second coming, Leo knew that Jabi was just as good as he was, if not better in some areas.

There was a distinct downturn at the corners of Kouga’s mouth as he paced, doing his best not to sulk. “Jabi and I grew up together. She knows stories about me that only Gonza could top, but he would never tell anyone. He has too much respect for me, and I for him. But respect has nothing to do with the relationship between Jabi and I. If she’s going to be here on order from the Senate, I want her to do what she was assigned to do, not sit there and gossip with Kaoru about what I was like before my father was killed.”

Aha, so that was it. Biting back a chuckle, Leo nodded and suppressed his grin as much as possible. “I understand. I will do my best to prevent the spread of any embarrassing tales.” On the one hand, he was jealous that Kouga had someone to spread such stories around, but on the other hand, Leo was grateful that everyone who had spent time around him during his most awkward and embarrassing years was no longer around to recite those tales.

Kouga stopped and visibly relaxed as he turned to face Leo. “Thank you very much, Leo. If there’s anything I can do for you in return…”

Leo cut Kouga off with a shake of his head. “You’ve given me a place in your home and you’ve never held Sigma’s actions against me. Believe me when I say that I still owe you far more than you owe me.”

The faint smile on Kouga’s face grew a little stronger and just a bit brighter as he inclined his head. “Then I will count on you to protect my reputation and dignity when it comes to tales of past exploits.”

“I’ll do my best. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about? Or should I just go figure out where they’ve decided on training at?” Laughing softly, Leo relaxed his own stance as well. He hoped he would be able to do a good enough job to satisfy Kouga.

“If they haven’t found a spot yet, there are training areas in the basement. If Jabi wants to teach any offensive spells, that would be the best place for it since there is the lowest risk for damage.” Kouga was quite happy with the shape the house was in and had no desire to bring a construction crew back in to fix holes in the walls.

Nodding in understanding, Leo headed out the door to find the women. “I’ll be sure to let them know.” With a small bow, he excused himself and was gone.

 


	10. Chapter 10

Despite the size of the house, it was fairly easy for Leo to find his intended targets. Sure, he had cheated just a little, but that wasn’t a problem in his book. The tracking spell had just pointed him in the right direction. Once he could hear their voices, he ended the spell so that Jabi wouldn’t sense it when he stepped into the room through the open door.

Several feet from the door, Leo heard Kaoru laughing. "No! He really did that?" Damn, he had missed something already. He hurried his pace just a little more and rounded the corner in time for Jabi to stop laughing long enough to reply. "Oh, he did! And worse." When both women turned to face him as he stepped into the room, Leo couldn't keep from looking sheepish. "I hope I'm not interrupting much..."

Everyone about Leo's posture screamed guilt to Jabi's eye. The hesitant look in his eye, the bashful smile, the way his shoulders hunched just a little spoke volumes to her. "Let me guess, Kouga sent you to try and salvage his reputation."

"How did you know?!"

Jabi laughed and beckoned Leo closer. "Rei would be hanging on my every word, Tsubasa can't stand to be in the same room as me longer than necessary, and Gonza's too busy. Which meant either he would be coming here himself, or he would send you. So you might as well get in here and help."

Leo flopped down in an empty chair like a sulking puppy. "I was hoping I wouldn't be so obvious."

Reaching over, Jabi patted his knee softly. "If I didn't know Kouga as well as I do, you wouldn't have been. I just expected this from him, it's not your fault. Though if you keep looking like a lost puppy, I'm going to have to do something about it."

"I don't look like a puppy!" Denial was Leo's automatic reaction, though it was followed quickly by denial. "Do I?"

"All you're missing is the floppy ears and fluffy tail, Leo-kun." Kaoru almost felt bad about how close she was to laughing. Almost. 

Crossing his arms over his chest, Leo harumphed and sank down in his seat. “Can we get on with the lesson, now? Or are you two not done yet?” Had he known this was going to become a ‘pick on Leo’ event, he wouldn’t have bothered coming in and sitting down. Kouga had said he shouldn’t go out of his way after all.

“I just have one more comment to make.” Jabi grinned wickedly before moving to whisper in his ear. “I bet Rei would think it’s adorable and be all over you if you had puppy ears.”

Not having heard what Jabi said, Kaoru could only sit by and look thoroughly perplexed as she watched Leo’s eyes widen as he turned bright red. She wanted to ask what had been said, but if Jabi had meant for her to hear the comment, she would have. Instead, the artist tied her hair up into a sloppy bun and got ready to be serious. “Alright, why don’t we give poor Leo-kun a break and get started.”

 


	11. Chapter 11

Meanwhile, Kouga sat at the desk in his study with his left elbow on the hard surface and his chin resting on the heel of his palm. In his right hand, there was a pencil that he was tapping idly against the blank sheet of paper he was staring at. He needed to come up with a ring for Kaoru that would suit her, but he was drawing a blank. Should the ring have a gemstone? Would the type, color, or quality affect her magic as she learned and grew stronger? If so, what should he use for it? If not, what color would suit her best? Sighing harshly, he threw the pencil down and leaned back in his chair.

/What seems to be the problem, Kouga?/ For once, Zaruba lacked his usual snark, which was rather odd. It was at times like this that Kouga wished the Madogu was still the same version that had held a contract with his father. That Zaruba would have been able to offer more help and advice.

“I’m trying to think of a ring design that would suit Kaoru.” Well, just because this Zaruba hadn’t ‘belonged’ to any other knight but himself didn’t mean the living ring was useless for the situation. “You’ll be connected to it during the wedding, and until I die, so do you have any input?”

/Hmm, something simple that won’t stick out too much, maybe? Kaoru isn’t a flashy kind of woman, so I think she’d like something more subtle./

Leave it to a Madogu to know his girlfriend so well. “I don’t suppose you know if the gem color would affect her magic as she goes through her training as a priest, do you?”

/It would not./

Kouga grinned and picked up the pencil again. Sketching as quickly and neatly as he could, he drafted a ring with an round stone set in the middle and small trails of tiny round stones down the sides. That, at least gave the ring a form and a body. It was disappointing when he realised that was all he could manage to do, though. “I’m a terrible person in a relationship…”

“Why would you say that, Kouga-sama?” Gonza had just poked his head into the room in time to hear his young master’s self deprecating statement. Stepping inside, he closed the door to the study and approached the desk. “What seems to be the matter?”

Allowing himself a small moment of weakness, Kouga looked up at Gonza pitifully. “I don’t know Kaoru’s favorite color. How am I to choose what kind of gem suits her best if I don’t know that?”

Stepping around behind the desk, Gonza looked over Kouga’s shoulder. Looking down at the sketch, he smiled warmly and rested a hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “Kouga-sama, you don’t need to know Kaoru-sama’s favorite color. Just pick what color you would most associate with her and use that. She will know that this is a gift from your heart, and as long as you like it, she will as well.”

“Are you sure? Because I think of her and I think of the color white and purity. She’s such a kind soul that she couldn’t be anything but. White in gems means a diamond, but I don’t want to be dull or too typical with this.” It was a rare thing for him to feel so uncertain, but this was the most important thing he’d done to date. The last thing Kouga wanted to do was to screw things up.

Gonza had to resist the urge to reach down and pinch Kouga’s cheeks. The concern that the younger man was putting into this gift was just too sweet. It reminded him of the little boy he used to read bedtime stories to when Taiga-sama was busy hunting horrors. “Then do a colored diamond instead? Perhaps something in the same color as your armor. You could do that for the center stone, or use a white diamond in the center with tiny flecks of yellow diamond on the sides.”

Kouga considered that for a long moment before smiling softly. “Gonza, you’re a genius. Thank you.”

“Thank you for saying so, Kouga-sama.” The butler beamed at the praise and bowed. It was always so nice to do what he could for his young master.

"I think I'm going to go into the city to price the stones for this ring. Is there anything else that needs picked up while I'm out?" Rising from his seat, Kouga folded the paper carefully. Hopefully the design would help jewelers know what size stones would work the best.

"Oh, no, that's quite alright, Kouga-sama. The kitchen is well stocked, and there isn't anything else I could think of needing. But thank you." Gonza was nearly beside himself that Kouga had asked him such a thing. Really, Kaoru had been such a wonderful influence on the young man. He was so much more openly thoughtful of others. It made his heart swell with pride to see such a thing.

Donning his white coat, Kouga stashed the drawing in an inner pocket before grabbing his sword. One never knew when a horror would attack, after all. “Then I will be on my way. I’ll be home in time for supper unless something comes up.”

The smile was still on Gonza’s face as he bowed deeply. “Very well, Kouga-sama. Good luck and safe travels.”

“Thank you, Gonza.” Kouga gave the man a brief hint of a bow before sweeping out of the study and heading toward the front door. He was almost free and clear when it happened. Out of the blue, Rei’s arm was around his shoulder as the black clad knight fell into step with him. Sighing, he shrugged off the arm around him. “What do you want, Rei?”

“Maa...I’m bored, and you look like you’re on a mission. Off to kill some horrors? Because if you are, it’s just plain rude not to say so to the rest of us.” There was a bounce in Rei’s step as they neared the front door.

“No, I’m not going off to kill horrors. I have an errand to run.” He really wished the other man would go pester someone else. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”

 


	12. Chapter 12

Rei pretended to think about that for maybe two whole seconds. “Nope! Tsubasa’s no fun when Jabi’s around to have his hackles up, and I can’t find her or Leo or Kaoru-chan. So what’s so important about this errand that you’re doing it yourself instead of having Gonza-san do it?” Men with butlers as reliable as Gonza did not run their own errands for no reason, of course.

“Jabi is giving Kaoru her first lesson, and Leo is probably with them.” Rei wasn’t the ideal companion that Kouga could have chosen for his outing, but an extra set of eyes from someone who knew Kaoru almost as well as he did couldn’t hurt.

“Why is Leo with them? Isn’t Jabi a great teacher in her own right? I mean, there’s a reason the Senate assigned her to Kaoru-chan.” If there was gossiping going on, Rei hoped he wasn’t the subject.

Kouga jogged down the exterior stairs and started walking toward the city center. “He’s protecting my reputation and hopefully salvaging the last of my dignity.”

Rei looked thoroughly confused. Hurrying to catch up, he tried to puzzle out what Kouga had meant, but it just wasn’t happening. “Ok, can you clear that up for me? Why would Leo need to be doing any of that for you?”

Stopping in the middle of a path that had little to no traffic, Kouga did his best to not look as embarrassed as he felt. “There are two people alive who have known me since before my father’s death. There’s Gonza, who would die before spilling any of my secrets or anything he knew I didn’t want to have as public knowledge about myself, and then there’s Jabi. Who would, and likely will, tell Kaoru every embarrassing thing she knows about me for no other reason than because she can. So I asked Leo to try to keep her on task to avoid that. Tsubasa can’t be in the same room as her for more than five minutes without wanting to break things, you’d be sitting there encouraging her, she’d have far too much fun tormenting me to be teaching Kaoru anything, and Gonza has enough to do as it is.”

“Jabi has blackmail on you?” Rei raised one eyebrow at Kouga before doing his best to sound like sweetness and light incarnate. “You know what? I just remembered something very important that I need to do. You have fun with your er-ack!”

Kouga cut the other knight’s retreat off by grabbing the collar of Rei’s shirt. “Not so fast. I wasn’t born yesterday, Rei. You decided to tag along with me, so now that’s what you’re doing. You made your bed, now lie in it.”

Once Kouga let him go, Rei rubbed his throat pitifully. “That hurt, you know. And fine, I’ll keep you company. You know, you only had to say that you were lonely. No need to trap me into going with you.”

Rolling his eyes, Kouga just shook his head. “Can you act your age for ten minutes?”

Rei stuffed his hands into his pockets and grinned. “Only if you tell me where we’re going.”

“Do not breathe a word of this to anyone. Do you understand?”

“Yeah...I can do that.” The sudden seriousness of Kouga’s voice and words startled Rei, leaving him no choice but to agree.

“Tsubasa explained the proper custom for a knight to propose to a priest yesterday when we were out on patrol together. The first part is for the knight to design a ring that the strongest priest in his intended’s family, other than the intended individual themself, will help the knight craft. But to do that, I need some gemstones. So I need to go see if any of the jewelry shops in the city have the loose stones I want on hand, or if they have the ability to order them.” Kouga kept his eyes straight ahead. He honestly feared how much he would blush if he looked over at Rei at the moment.

Rei let the words stew and process in his brain for a little while. When he finally spoke, they were nearly to the edge of the shopping district, where all the stores Kouga would want to talk to were located. “Well, it’s about time you proposed to Kaoru. Though I have to admit, I was expecting you to take a few more years to do so. So, what are we looking for, then? I’m assuming you brought me along for a second opinion of the gems you have in mind so you can get only the best for her.”

Nodding, Kouga dared to glance over as he pulled out the design. “A white diamond for the center and yellow diamonds to go down the sides.”

“What will it be made out of?” Unfolding the paper, Rei had to admit the simple design would suit Kaoru very well.

“I would assume soul metal, or whatever it is that Madogu are made of. There will be a spell placed on it connecting it to Zaruba like the ring he made to keep track of her back when she was tainted was. If I’m understanding the concept of it right.” Kouga took the paper back and tucked it inside his coat again as he and Rei passed clothing and electronics vendors.

Spotting a jewelry store up ahead, Rei made a beeline for it. As the pair cut through a crowd of high school girls who looked like they had pounds of makeup on, he coughed at the cloud of perfume the girls left behind in their wake. “God, I am not sorry I missed out on public schooling when I see groups like that.”

“No kidding. Sometimes it seems like we missed out on a lot by being raised the way we were, but it has got to be better than that.” Kouga sniffed his jacket and pulled a face before glaring over his shoulder at the overly fragrant group of teens. “And now I smell like a cheap whorehouse.”

Rei just gave Kouga a look as they reached the door of the jewellry shop. “How do you even know what that smells like?”

Kouga grimaced and lowered his voice as they stepped inside. “I was hunting a horror, it led me to a nest and a gate inside one. It reeked like cheap perfume, smoke, and spilt booze.”

The only reason Rei resisted the urge to gag at that description was how nice the inside of the store was. Their entrance had set off a chime that was most likely connected to a motion sensor, and he could hear movement coming from behind a set of saloon style doors. When the shopkeeper came out, he waved and gave the older woman a winning smile. “Good afternoon~.”

“Good afternoon, welcome to my shop. What can I help you two with today?” There was something special about the young men in her store, but the older woman, Tae, couldn’t quite put her finger on what that was.

Stepping forward, Kouga bowed just slightly and smiled hesitantly. It was an expression he was not used to making, and he didn’t know how good he was at it. “Do you by chance sell loose stones?”

Tae frowned softly. “I don’t tend to make a habit of it, not much profit for a small shop like this. I could order something for you, or give you the name of a good place that ought to have what you want on hand if you need it sooner.”

Kouga felt torn. On the one hand, he liked shopping in smaller, family owned shops. But on the other hand, the sooner he got the stones, the sooner he could get to work on the ring. Plus, a larger store that had stones on hand would allow him to check the quality before being committed to the purchase. “The name of who you would recommend would be appreciated, please.”

“Such a polite young man! Of course, dear, I can do that. Do you mind if I ask what you need them for?” Smiling warmly at Kouga, Tae moved behind the display cases toward the register and pulled out an old fashioned rolodex.

Pulling the paper out of his pocket, Kouga unfolded it and showed the shopkeeper. “To make this ring. I have someone who will help make the setting, but I need the stones.”

Tae took a look at the drawing and smiled. “That looks like it will be a lovely ring. Proposing to your sweetheart, huh?” Spinning through the rolodex, she found the card she was looking for and went scrounging for some blank scratch paper.

Kouga felt a little bashful as he watched her dig around in the drawer beneath the register. “I am. And I want the ring to be one of a kind, too.”

Finding a piece of paper at last, Tae jotted down the information that the young man in front of her needed. “That’s very sweet of you, young man. That kind of originality doesn’t happen as much as it should. Here, now this place isn’t very far from here. When you leave my shop, take a left and follow the road until the third intersection. There’s a traffic light there, so you can use it to cross to your right, and then to the far side of the road. It’ll be another two blocks after the light, but you won’t miss it. It’s a big place, but the manager is an old friend. Tell them that Tae sent you and they’ll take good care of you.”

Picking up the paper, Kouga repeated the directions in his head to cement them in place. Once he had that down, he smiled and bowed to the older woman. “Thank you very much, Tae-san.” He was going to have to come back again soon.

“You are very welcome. I hope she likes the ring you’re making for her.” Tae smiled brightly and waved goodbye to the two young men as they left her store. It was always nice to see people doing such sweet things for the ones they loved.

 


	13. Chapter 13

“She was a nice lady, I liked her.” Rei stuffed his hands back in his pockets as they followed the woman’s directions. “And she has some nice stuff in there.” He had browsed idly while Kouga took care of things.

Kouga nodded and stuck the paper Tae had given him in his pocket. “I think I’ll have to go back there at some point and pick out something for Kaoru. Just because. Or even take her with me so she can get whatever she wants.”

“Good idea. It’d be a shame not to when she was so helpful.” The traffic lights cooperated with them quite well, to Rei’s surprise. In what seemed like no time, he and Kouga were staring at the front of the place they’d been sent to. Stepping inside, he felt rather under dressed, even though there were other people far more casually dressed than he was.

As a young man in a tailored suit approached them, Kouga pulled the paper from his pocket and double checked the name written down. When the man asked if he could help them with anything, the knight was able to answer with confidence. “Yes, Tae-san sent us. I was hoping Kobayashi Osamu-san would be available?”

“Ah, I am afraid my father is not in the shop today. I am Kobayashi Kurou, perhaps I can help you. Tae-san wouldn’t have sent you to us without a reason, after all.” The man in the suit smiled warmly and gestured for Rei and Kouga to step farther inside. “What is it that you are looking for?”

The drawing came back out after Kouga slipped the paper from their last stop back into a different pocket. “I have the setting for this ring handled, but I need the stones. A white diamond for the center, and yellow diamonds on the sides. Do you have those stones on hand?”

Kurou led his customer to an office in the back of the shop. “Because of how expensive they are, we do not keep many loose stones out on the floor. Looking at this design, I would say you would likely want at least a half carat stone in the center, and I do have some lovely diamonds that would do well for that. For the yellows, we only have stones that are an eighth of a carat on hand, but I wouldn’t suggest more than that anyway.”

“Do you have enough yellow diamonds to do this pattern?” Rei leaned over the back of the chair Kouga was seated in and raised an eyebrow at Kurou. “And don’t mind me, I’m here for moral support.”

Chuckling softly, Kurou stood and moved to the safe in the corner of the room. “I know we do, but they are not all the same shade. I do have matched pairs in identical shades, though. We were considering using them in earrings, but I am more than willing to sell them if you are pleased with them.” He brought two cloth sacks, one smaller than the other, back to the desk. A felted mat was placed on top before Kurou pulled on some white cotton gloves. Opening the smaller bag, he poured out eight small yellow diamonds and used a pair of blunt tweezers to arrange them into pairs. “As you can see, the color goes from nearly pastel to a burnished gold. What you could do is have them running down the sides from light to dark for a nice visual effect.”

Kouga quite liked that idea. Nodding he leaned back a bit. “I’ll take them, and thank you for the suggestion, I will be sure to follow it. Now, for the center stone?”

The yellow diamonds went back in their bag. Kurou then went for the larger bag that had nothing but white diamond inside. “Are you sold on a round cut, or would you be interested in a different shape? I have princess cut, cushion cut, and triangle cut. I think I also have some pear and marquise cuts, as well as oval and emerald. Asscher and radiant cuts aren’t very popular in our shop, and my father dislikes the look of heart cuts in anything smaller than a pendant.”

There were far more options than Kouga had been expecting, and it made his head spin just a bit. “Um...show me what you’ve got. I may see a different cut that I like better. The setting isn’t constructed yet, so I can still make some changes if need be.”

Kurou nodded and poured out the contents of the bag. “These are the highest quality stones we have on hand in each cut. The round is the most traditional, but the cushion is close to it. You can see how it’s not fully a square. The princess cut is a full square, as is the asscher. The difference here is the cut around the edges. Princess, round, oval, cushion, marquise, triangle and pear are what we call a brilliant cut. That's where you get the facets that produce the best prisms. Emerald and asscher have a flat face with terracing down the sides. Not only are the emeralds longer, the steps are much smaller and sharper, looking straight on, they look like a clean slope. Asscher cuts have fewer and wider steps, making them more visible."

Kouga paid close attention to the description of each cut, and was happy that Kurou pointed out the corresponding stone as he spoke. Leaning back, Kouga looked up at Rei. "Well? Should I still pick the round?"

"I don't know, I'm liking the asscher. And it would make Kaoru-chan's ring more unique, which wouldn't be a bad thing." Rei chewed his bottom lip as he considered all of the shiny stones. He was glad he wasn't the one having to make the call.

Rei did have a good point, and the mirror like face of the asscher was rather captivating. Kouga stewed over his options for a little longer before nodding. "I'll take the asscher."

"Excellent choice, sir. With the design you already have, you shouldn't need to alter it much if at all. The most I would recommend would be to set the prongs to cup the corners of the stone. The contrast between the flat cut of the central stone and the brilliant cut of the trailing stones will look stunning."

Kurou's suggestion was a good one, Kouga had to admit. "You have been incredibly helpful, Kobayashi-san, thank you."

The salesman smiled happily and bowed in his seat as he bagged the other diamonds back up and put the asscher in the small bag with the yellows. "It's been my pleasure..." He trailed off and looked sheepish for a moment. "My apologies, I never got your name."

"It's Saejima Kouga." Nodding his head in lieu of a proper bow, Kouga looked amused. "No need to apologize for not asking sooner. I was rather focused when I came in."

Kurou looked both pleased and mollified by that as he nodded in understanding and put the felt board and tweezers away. The cotton gloves came off and were tucked in the pocket of his jacket as he turned to pull a binder from the shelf behind him. "I am always happy to help people find exactly what they are looking for. We do take credit here, just so you know, since I doubt you'll have the cash on hand for the cost of these nine stones. Let me just look up the prices and get you a total. You're welcome to wait here or go and browse our display cases. I can come find you when I'm through."

"We'll go out and look around, thank you." Rei gripped Kouga's forearm firmly and hauled the other man up and toward the door.

 


	14. Chapter 14

Kouga glared and hissed at Rei. "What are you doing? I was perfectly fine waiting here!"

"The last thing that man needs is to feel like you're breathing down his neck after how helpful he's been. Why not look and see if you find anything else Kaoru-chan would like?" Pushing Kouga out of the office and back toward the showroom, Rei had to roll his eyes at the other man. Really, he had to be the mature one?

As much as he hated to admit it, Kouga knew Rei had a point. It would be rude to hover and stare expectantly, and it wasn't like cost was an issue for him. "You look. I need to call the bank and tell the that an exceptionally large purchase is about to happen and it is not fraud."

Rei wrinkled his nose at that. "Mm, I didn't think of that. Probably a good idea, though. It would be embarrassing if your card got declined. I'll go wander around, then. Maybe even find a nice new chain for Silva-chan." The Madogu pendant on the back of his left glove smiled at the suggestion. She was getting a bit tired of feeling upside down all the time.

"You do that. I'll find you when I get done." Chuckling softly, Kouga shook his head and stepped into an alcove before pulling out his rarely used cell phone. His wallet came out next so he could dial the bank from the number on the back of his card. Since his family had held an account with that bank for many generations, it always amused him how the employees would fall all over themselves to please him. On this particular instance, they managed to remove the purchase limit on his card entirely and permanently. Thanking them for their assistance, he hung up and went to go track Rei down.

Standing in front of a glass case filled with silver chains, Rei contemplated the necklaces the way art critics contemplated paintings. There were several options that he liked, but it would be Silva hanging from whatever he chose, so he wanted her to see the options. With the way his hand was posed, the Madogu had a perfect view of the different necklaces. Looking around, he spoke softly. “So, see anything you like?”

/Yes. The one just left of where the doors overlap is lovely. Looks nice and strong./ Silva kept her own voice down, well aware that they were in public.

Having approached as silently as he could, Kouga smiled just a bit as he stood to keep his reflection in the glass. “If you want that chain, then we’ll get it.”

Turning around, Rei frowned just a bit. “I don’t know that I can afford it.”

“Then pay for what you can, and I’ll cover the rest.” Kouga shrugged and flagged an employee to come and open the case for them.

Rei was stunned. He had never expected Kouga to do something so nice for him! As they followed the employee toward the register, he leaned to murmur just loud enough that the other knight would hear. “Thanks, Kouga. You didn't have to do this, though. But I still appreciate it.”

Smiling, Kouga walked just a little taller. “You’re welcome. Thank you for joining me for this outing. Your advice has been quite helpful.”

“I haven’t hardly done anything, but ok.” Considering the situation, Rei wasn’t going to refuse the gift.

Before Kouga could reply, Kurou approached with a folded slip of paper. Taking it, Kouga unfolded the slip and tried not to visibly react to the price. Obviously, the amount was going to be high, he was buying nine loose diamonds that were weighted at one and a half carats all together, he just hadn’t known ahead of time exactly what the going rate was for the gems. Handing over his card, he followed Kurou to the register to complete the purchase and add Rei’s chain to the total as well. Once everything was paid for, he tucked the small pouch of stones in with the drawing and handed the chain’s box to Rei. “Let’s head back.”


	15. Chapter 15

Sliding the necklace box into his own pocket, Rei nodded and fell in step with Kouga as they left the store. He waved at the young woman who was near the door to greet and bow to customers as they came and went, then had to blink at how much brighter it was outside. “So. You have the stones, you have the design, now who are you going to get to help you make the ring? Even if Kaoru-chan had been born into a family that would have raised her as a priest, she has no living relatives.”

“I know. I thought I would ask Jabi to help me.” Perhaps he was being a bit paranoid, but now that he had the diamonds on him, Kouga couldn’t wait to get back home where he knew it would be safe.

“Really? You sure she won’t spill the details to Kaoru-chan?” Not that he had anything against his ex. Jabi was certainly a powerful priest, but her penchant for harassing Kouga might cause problems.

Kouga laughed softly and shook his head. “She wouldn’t do that to me. As much as she enjoys tormenting me, she wouldn’t dare betray me like that.”

Honestly, it was kind of cute what a nice guy Kouga was once a person got past his grumpy defenses. Rei grinned and nudged Kouga with his elbow. “She might still be working with Kaoru-chan, so if you need me to be a distraction, I can do that.”

“Maybe. But I could also just send Kaoru to Tsubasa. She wanted to talk to him to see if he would be willing to model for her like Leo did.” While he honestly saw no reason why Tsubasa would refuse, Kouga knew that the southerner could be very irritable.

Rei nodded in understanding and grinned as they started getting to the less densely packed roads. “I’m sure he’ll say yes. No one can resist Kaoru when she’s being all earnest and cute. Not even the only grump who can out grump you.”

“Hey!” Kouga looked positively affronted. “I’m not grumpy!” Honestly, what was Rei thinking, calling him a grump?

It was ridiculously hard for Rei to resist the urge to burst out laughing at that. “Really? Because you are the grumpiest grump to have ever grumped when you want to be!” The struggle against laughter was turning to a losing battle far too quickly. And the way Silva and Zaruba were both snickering didn’t help matters any either.

Had he been a more juvenile man, Kouga would have stuck his tongue out at Rei, or started a mock-fight with the slimmer man. But he was far too mature for that. Instead, he huffed and dropped the matter while quickening his pace a bit. “Shows what you know.”

Rei let out a peal of laughter at the way Kouga almost marched off with his nose nearly straight up in the air. The posture was completely figurative and not quite fully literal, serving to make it all the more ridiculous to the silver knight. By the time he stopped laughing, Rei had to jog to catch up with the other man, who had gotten a fair bit ahead. “Aw, you know I love you. In a totally platonic, sibling rivalry kind of way.”

Kouga absolutely was not going to smile. His mouth was not allowed to twitch at the corners, no sir. It was a shame that those corners didn’t pay any attention to what he wanted. The muscles controlling them seemed to work independently from his conscious mind, pulling up his lips into the faintest of smiles. Once the corners had disobeyed him, Kouga felt the rest of his mouth wanting to follow suit. “Sibling rivalry, huh?”

“You don’t believe me?” If it hadn’t been for the big grin on his face, Rei would have pouted at Kouga. As it was, he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold the expression.

Rolling his shoulders, Kouga carefully forced his expression back into neutrality. “Not at all. I’m fairly certain we went well beyond rivalry of that sort.” Though, honestly, the only siblings he knew were Tsubasa and Rin, as well as Leo and Sigma. Tsubasa was protective of Rin because of their age difference, while the Fudou twins had ended up on opposite sides of a fight. Perhaps neither was the best model, after all. “Besides, don’t siblings talk about things more than we do? Including the people they like?”

The smile fell from Rei’s face to be replaced by a pout. “Subtle, Kouga. Real subtle.”

“You’re the one that started it.” This time, Kouga let the smirk grow. It was a well deserved one, after all.

Sighing as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders, Rei stretched his arms above his head before dropping them to his sides and letting them swing. “Fine. What do you want to know?”

“Are you and Jabi still together?” Kouga looked over at Rei and stopped walking altogether. They were already on his property, but not to the house yet.

Rei shook his head and smiled softly. “No, but we are still good friends. It was a mutual decision and the evolution of our attempted relationship. We went from lovers to friends instead of the other way around.”

Kouga frowned just slightly and inclined his head in confusion. “Why? I thought you two were happy together.”

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Rei idly kicked at a rock in the path. “We were happy because we were hanging out with each other. Honestly, we both like other people and care too much about each other to have continued pretending that we were happy in that relationship.”

“Well, I suppose that makes sense. And you do still seem to get along as well as ever.” Rei’s answer was honest, which mollified Kouga. He had been prepared to get thoroughly incensed on Jabi’s behalf, but that seemed pointless.

When Kouga turned and resumed the trek home, Rei almost felt a little cheated. “What? Not going to ask me who Jabi and I both like?”

“I don’t need to.”

“Eh? What do you mean?” Rei ran forward and pulled Kouga to a stop by grabbing the shoulder of his white coat.

Turning in Rei’s grip, Kouga rolled his eyes. “It’s obvious, isn’t it? Jabi likes Tsubasa, which is why she teases him, and you like Leo. Just because I grew up very sheltered from personal relationships doesn’t mean I don’t know how to spot them. It’s a useful tool when hunting for horrors.”

Rei was a bit taken aback by that. It made perfect sense, of course, but how had he never thought of it before? Shaking off his shock, he raised one eyebrow at Kouga. “How do you know I like Leo? Not that you’re wrong, but still.”

Kouga smiled just a little with a playful glint in his eyes. “I didn’t for sure. That was just a guess.”

“EH?!” Releasing his grip on Kouga, Rei shouted in shock. “That’s not fair!”

Laughing to himself, Kouga turned and kept walking. “Life’s not fair, Rei. Live with it.”

Rei sulked along after him, not at all pleased with the way things had turned out. When they stepped inside, he spoke in an uncharacteristically timid way. “You won’t tell, right?”

Kouga patted Rei on the back. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Thanks.” Looking visibly relieved, Rei stood up straighter again. “So, you need to find Jabi-chan, right?”


	16. Chapter 16

Almost as if on cue, the woman in question came sauntering down the stairs. “So where have you two been?” She had looked for them both after Kaoru’s first lesson, only to come up empty.

“I had an errand to run and Rei decided to tag along.” Kouga kept his answer vague and simple, just in case. “Mind if I borrow you for a little while?”

“Not at all. Kaoru-chan is off painting or something like that. Her first lesson went well, though.” Jabi smiled and stretched as she hopped off the last stair. “She’s handling the incantations very well, I’m impressed. That was the hardest for me when I started.”

Kouga chuckled at that. “You started as a child, though. Right about when you were still learning to read in Japanese, right? I’m sure that probably didn’t do you any favors.”

Sticking her tongue out, Jabi smacked Kouga’s arm. “You’re such a bully, Kouga. You need to learn to be nice to people.”

Off to the side, Rei snickered softly. Really, they were so close it was cute to watch. This was the sort of sibling relationship he’d always wanted as a child. Since they weren’t paying him any attention, he slipped off to go move Silva off his glove. And maybe find Leo.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I am a perfectly nice person.” Having noticed Rei’s departure, Kouga started moving toward the basement. There was a workroom down there that he and Jabi could use to make the ring, assuming she agreed to help him.

“Uh huh, sure you are.” Snorting softly in amusement, Jabi followed her old friend as they went to the underground room. “So, what errand did you need to go run?”

“I had to go find some very special items for something that I am hoping you will be willing to help me make.” Once the door was shut, Kouga pulled out the design and the diamonds. “I want to make this engagement ring for Kaoru. Tsubasa told me yesterday about the proper traditions for a knight to marry a priest. Kaoru hasn’t got any family, but I know you two have become good friends.”

Jabi picked up the drawing and took a hard look at it. It was a simple but elegant design, and it would suit Kaoru’s petite hand well. “Of course I’ll help you, Kouga. I assume the little bag is full of gems, then?”

Kouga nodded and poured them out on the table he and Jabi were standing next to. “Nine diamonds. The yellow ones come in four paired shades, and the central stone is different from what I drew. The employee who helped me suggested making the prongs for it in a way that will let them cup the corners of the stone, since it’s more square.”

“That’s a good idea. I can create the ring and do the spellwork for it.” Picking up the white diamond, Jabi couldn’t help being entranced by the layered look it held inside. “I’ve never seen a diamond like this before, it’s fascinating.”

“It’s called an asscher cut, I think. It’s certainly unique, and I hope Kaoru likes it.” A shy smiled played at the corners of Kouga’s lips, but he hoped Jabi wouldn’t judge him for it. They’d known each other so long, he couldn’t imagine that she would, but there was a reason irrational fears were thusly named.

It was easy for Jabi to pretend she didn’t see the minute upturn at the corners of Kouga’s mouth when she was bent over the table matching the yellow diamonds by shade. “So these will go light next to the center stone and dark at the ends, right?” This was the most important thing Kouga had ever asked of her and she’d be damned if she let him down.

Kouga nodded and perched on an old stool as he watched her. “Yes, that’s right.” The smile fell from Kouga’s lips as he picked idly at a seam on his cuff. “Jabi…?”

“Hmm?” They were almost all lined up just right, so Jabi didn’t bother looking up.

“Does it make me a bad son to be glad that my father died when I was so young so that he couldn’t try to arrange a match between us? I’ve always missed him, that hasn’t changed, but I remember hearing him and Amon talking about you and I marrying when we grew up. I never liked the idea because you never felt like someone I’d love romantically when you already were my best friend.” There was a sadness in Kouga’s eyes that made him look so much younger than he was.

Abandoning the stones on the table, Jabi walked over and gave Kouga a fierce hug. “That doesn’t make you a bad son, Kouga. It makes you independent, and the only person I would ever want to call my brother, if I had one. Amon mentioned it to me in passing once, and I don’t think he was thrilled that Taiga-san ever suggested it in the first place. Your parents married for love, and I don’t think he could understand how your father wouldn’t want you to do the same. Besides, if he met Kaoru, he’d see how perfect she is for you.”

Kouga returned the hug with a smile and a faint nod. “Thank you, Jabi. You’ve always been the closest I’ve had to a sister. And if you tell anyone we had this conversation, I will deny it to my grave.”

Jabi laughed as she stepped back away from Kouga. “Well then, I may as well embellish the details to my heart’s content. I can say you had tears in your eyes and looked at me imploringly.”

“Now you’re mistaking me for some hundred-yen romance novel character.” Kouga scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. Jabi was bad enough on her own, but a story like that would have Rei harassing him even more than the silver knight already did. 

Backing up half a step, Jabi put her hands on her hips and gave Kouga a look of utter disbelief. “Don’t tell me you’ve actually read a hundred-yen romance novel before? Seriously?”

“What, I was sick, bored, and apparently being a pain in the ass, because that’s all Gonza would give me to read.” He saw no reason to get defensive about the matter, it was all said and done years ago.

Jabi laughed and relaxed some. From what she knew of Gonza, she wasn’t at all surprised by that. “How old were you?”

Kouga had to think about that for a moment. He really didn’t celebrate birthdays, so it was hard to recall his age during exact times. “Um...either fifteen or sixteen. They were easy reads that required very little brain power, which is nice when you have a nasty fever. By the time the fever broke, I had read almost twenty different ones.”

Letting out a low whistle, Jabi shook her head. “Wow. You really must have been bored.”

“Oh, you have no idea.” Chuckling softly, Kouga stood and stretched. “So, what will it take to make the ring?”

“Well, I’ll need to go get an ingot of soul metal from the Senate tomorrow, and that will take time to shape. Especially since I’ll be working around Kaoru’s lessons and needing to maintain enough energy to cast the proper spells as I’m making it. Which means I need to get a book with the proper spells in it, because they are very old and specific.” Really, there should have been a copy of the book she needed up in the study, but that was before Sigma had trashed everything and completely destroyed the house. Now, Jabi would need to hunt down the backup copy at the Senate and borrow that.

Kouga nodded and stuck his hands in his pockets to hide his fidgeting. “So what can I do to help out?”

Reaching up, Jabi ruffled his hair and grinned. “Don’t bug me about it for at least two weeks. I can go get the book now, but the metal will be available tomorrow for me to pick from.”

Smacking away the hand that was messing up his hair, Kouga quickly combed it all back down again. “Ok, I can do that. And leave my hair alone, would you?”

Jabi sighed like Kouga had just placed the weight of the world on her shoulders. “Ok...I suppose I can leave your hair alone. But only because I’m impressed how much you’ve changed recently. I’m proud of you, Kouga.”

A small smile blossomed on Kouga’s lips as he and Jabi locked the room back up and headed upstairs again. “Thank you. It’s mostly due to Kaoru, but Rei and Leo and even you have helped in small ways. It’s...nice to not hold everyone at arm’s length anymore, I feel like I can be more myself. I still worry that I’m going to backslide and push everyone away, sometimes.”

Linking their arms together, Jabi leaned her head on Kouga’s shoulder. “You know if you do that, I’ll come and kick your ass back into shape. You’re my best friend, I like seeing you be happy.”

The smile on Kouga’s face grew as he reached over to pat the back of Jabi’s hand. “I’ll count on you to do that for me, then. Especially if I ever hurt Kaoru.”

“Deal.” Jabi nodded against his shoulder and grinned. She would be more than happy to follow through on that, too.


	17. Chapter 17

While Kouga and Jabi had been discussing the ring, Rei had been on a mission of his own. For how tall Leo was, the other knight was surprisingly good at not being found, leaving him searching high and low. When he had checked all other alternatives, the silver knight went to the last place on his list and knocked on the door. As he waited for Leo to answer, he reached up to fiddle with Silva, who once again hung from a chain around his neck.

The knock on his door had been surprising to Leo, he hadn’t been expecting anyone to come by. Unfolding himself from the window seat, he crossed the room in a few long strides to open it. Upon doing so, Leo felt himself go a bit wordless; he’d never expected Rei to be the one knocking, let alone the clammy feeling on his palms all of a sudden. Clearing his throat to try and find his voice again, he let the shorter man in and shut the door.

Strolling into Leo’s room, Rei couldn’t help looking around to take it all in. He knew neither of them had had much time to get settled in their rooms, but at least his own looked lived in. Lowering himself into a soft chair in the corner, Rei smiled warmly at the taller man. “So, I hear you got to go have fun salvaging Kouga’s tough guy reputation today.”

Leo laughed warmly at that and took the window seat again. Subtly wiping his damp palms off on the cushion, he nodded. “I did. Didn’t realize they’d both turn on me and pick on me instead, of course, but I did manage to defend his image. Who did you hear it from?”

Well, hell, why did he have to look so effortlessly beautiful sitting like that? Rei couldn’t pull his eyes away from the way Leo was leaned back on long fingered hands that were planted firmly on the cushion of the window seat. Shifting a bit to sprawl in his claimed chair a little more, he ignored the sudden urge to peel away the brown leather and black cloth to see if Leo was really as slim as he looked. “Ah, Kouga told me. I was bored and he needed to go into town, so I tagged along. I’m sorry you got picked on, though. I take it Jabi was leading the attack?”

“She was, yes. Can you picture Kaoru-san picking on anyone at all?” Laughing again at the idea, Leo steadfastly kept his eyes away from Rei’s legs. For all that he was a beanpole in his own right, Rei’s legs looked ridiculously long wrapped in black leather and motorcycle boots. He couldn’t help wondering if the same effect would be present without those items of clothing. And the way the silver knight sprawled in the chair he was in was just unfair. Of course, Leo had known Rei long enough to realize that the smaller man only ever sat properly for two reasons; either he was serious about something, usually food, or he was doing it to please Kaoru-san.

Rei threw his head back and laughed at the idea of Kaoru instigating any kind of teasing at all. “I’ve heard of her cooking exploits, and the one time she attempted to harass Kouga and Gonza into eating what she’d made, but that’s all.” He slung one ankle up over his other knee to try and keep still, though it wasn’t working well. The longer he stayed here staring, the more tempted he was to do something that would likely not go over well.

Leaning forward, Leo rested his elbows on his knees and raised an eyebrow at Rei. “You know, I keep hearing about how bad Kaoru-san is at cooking, but never having tried her food before, I’m not sure how much I should believe them.” Leo’s eyes caught sight of Silva hanging from a chain again, right around the second button of Rei’s shirt. With the top button open, his eyes had plenty of pale skin to stare at as he followed the path of the silver chain visually. While he did not consider himself a sensual individual, Leo was caught by the spontaneous curiosity of determining just how soft Rei’s skin was. And if there were any spots on the silver knight’s neck that were particularly sensitive, he had no problem making it a mission to find them all.

“Neither have I.” Rei knew his voice was lower and more smoky than it had been, but he couldn’t help it. Not with the way Leo was looking at him, like he was some tasty morsel to be sampled before being devoured. Hell, there had been sexual tension between them the first time they’d worked together, before Sigma’s plot to kill all the knights. But being alone together now made him wonder why he had never made a move on Leo before. Rising to his feet, Rei hoped his knees weren’t shaking as much as they felt like they were. That would just be embarrassing.

He had been about to say something else, though heaven only knew what that was going to be, when Rei stood and started moving closer. Leo’s mouth went dry and he swallowed hard as he sat up straight and looked at the other man curiously. If this was going to be punishment for staring like he had, then so be it. He’d become a masochist and take whatever punishment Rei wanted to give him without question. Licking his lips unconsciously, he looked up at the other man, who actually had the height advantage for a change.

Choking back a groan as he watched that pink tongue move over the lips he’d dreamt about far more than he wanted to admit, Rei silently tugged his fingerless gloves off to shove them in his pockets. He didn’t want any impediment to keep him from feeling the chocolate and caramel locks of Leo’s hair against his hands. His heart was hammering in his chest more than it had the first time he’d hunted a horror on his own as he looked down at the other man. With a hard swallow to steel his nerves, the silver knight leaned down to murmur his question just millimeters from the bronze knight’s lips. “May I…?”


	18. Chapter 18

“Please…” There was more breath than sound in Leo’s answer, but he knew Rei had heard him. The press of lips against his own was shy and tentative at first, but the more he started to respond and return the kiss, the stronger it became. Without thinking about it, Leo’s hands moved to the outsides of Rei’s thighs and slowly crept upward over soft leather, feeling the muscles tensing under his touch. He would be lying if he said he’d never imagined kissing Rei, but he’d had no idea it would be this intoxicating. Sliding one hand down the back of the other man’s leg, Leo silently invited him to kneel on the window seat. To help encourage this, he even scooted back so that Rei would have more room to do so.

Rei would never claim a great repertoire of kissing partners, but even if he had he was certain Leo would still top the chart. He couldn’t keep from letting out a soft whine as nimble hands smoothed over his thighs, driving both of his own hands to thread through the taller man’s lush hair. Just as he’d always suspected, the brown waves were soft as silk as they slipped through his fingers. He knew then and there that playing with Leo’s hair was going to become a guilty pleasure that he’d have no problem indulging. The hand sliding down the back of his thigh nearly buckled his knees, which just made Rei even more grateful that Leo had made space for him to kneel on the cushion. Of course, this left him straddling the other man, but he couldn’t see a reason to complain.

When they finally pulled apart for air, Leo was nearly purring at the feeling of Rei’s fingers combing through his hair. With the shorter man in his lap, it was easy to lean in and rest his head on a black covered shoulder. There was a smile on his face as he brushed his lips ever so lightly over the pale skin of Rei’s neck and tightened his hold just a bit. As incredible as the kiss was, he was quickly growing fond of just getting to have his arms around the silver knight. There was a sense of peace that he hadn't felt for a long time in having Rei in his arms, though he couldn't explain why.

The lips on his neck pulled a soft gasp from Rei as he sat and tried to slow his racing heart. He had been so nervous at the start, but then it had become so much more than he could have imagined. He had never had such sensitivity in his legs as he did when Leo's hands were on them, it was just crazy how good the other man's hands felt. Wrapping his arms around the bronze knight's shoulders, he smiled happily. "I'd gush about how great that was, but I'd run out of words before I'd find the right one."

Leo laughed softly against Rei's neck. "I know exactly what you mean." With his face where it was, the silver knight's scent was heady and addicting. There was the metallic tang he associated with their armors, a sweetness he chalked up to all the sugary foods Rei loved, and a rich earthy smell that reminded him of where he'd grown up. Pulling away, he looked up at the man in his lap with a smile. "I certainly wouldn't hate doing it again, either."

"Same here, though I should warn you of something." Leo's smile was infectious, not that Rei hadn't already been grinning before seeing such a nice sight. "I'm greedy. I don't just want to kiss you more."

The playful tone in Rei's voice made Leo's heart skip almost as much as the words spoken. "Can't say I see a problem with that sort of greediness. What did you have in mind?" Idly, he stroked Rei's back through the man's silk shirt just above the belt. 

A pleased shiver washed over Rei as he felt Leo's fingers teasing the base of his spine. "I want everything. I want to kiss you and go out on dates with you and fight alongside knowing that you've got my back. Not that I don't already know it, but it's a part of the whole. I want to find solace in your arms and a home in your heart." As he spoke, Rei's voice got softer and softer until it was little more than an intimate whisper as he once again ran his fingers through Leo's hair. 

Leo tilted his head back to get more out of the nimble fingers carding through his hair. "Mm...give you all of that and more. Just...slowly...you matter too much to rush things." He was scared that if they moved too fast, the magic would be lost and the friendship they'd had would be ruined. Though he would certainly let Rei play with his hair anytime.

"I'm totally onboard with that plan. But if your thumb doesn't stop petting my spine, I may end up throwing ‘slow’ out the window behind you instead of going and taking a cold shower." Rei's voice was heavy with arousal thanks to Leo's thumb stroking up and down that small section of his back. Not even Shizuka had known about that spot, but the man beneath him had found it on total accident.

It took a moment for Rei's words to sink in, but once they did, Leo laughed and moved his hand to rest on the other man's hip. Already, he filed away just how sensitive that spot was for future reference. ”I will be good and stop teasing you, then. Because while I wouldn’t object to you throwing ‘slow’ out the window, I am the one that mentioned it in the first place. So, where should we start with this whole going slow thing, then?”

As much as Rei wanted to just crawl into Leo and never pull away again, he was good and slowly stood back on his own feet in front of the window seat. “We could do a question for a question? And if you refuse, you have to answer a different one before you can ask again.”

Leo nodded and stood as well before stretching. Since they were clearly going to be relaxing, he shed his leather coat and toed off his boots to flop on the bed. “Here, you can lay here with me. I promise to be a perfect gentleman.” He tucked one arm behind his head and patted the empty space with the other.

Looking at the taller man spread out on the bed, Rei barely resisted the urge to pinch himself. If he was dreaming, then he never wanted to have to wake up. Shrugging off his own coat, he draped it gently over a chair before removing Silva from around his neck to tuck her gently into one of the pockets. The Madogu must have been getting sick of them being so sappy and romantic. Besides, Eruba was nowhere in sight, so there was no reason not to seek some privacy. Leaving his own boots next to the bed, he laid perpendicular to Leo so that his head was laying on the other man’s stomach. “Mm, this is pretty comfy, I have to admit.”

While it was very different to have someone laying with him like this, Leo enjoyed it. It was also his chance to play with Rei’s hair and see if the black haired man reacted the same way he himself did. “Good, I’m glad. So, this question thing is your idea, so you start.” The arm tucked behind his head came back down to start carefully working through Rei’s long hair.


	19. Chapter 19

The question and answer time didn’t end until Gonza knocked on the door to inform Leo that it was dinner time. Having sprung upright at the knock on the door, Rei pulled his coat back on and slid his feet back into his shoes. There were still more questions that he could think of, but what was the fun of learning everything right away? Pulling Silva from his pocket, he put the chain back around his neck. Before he had a chance to fumble with the latch, warm hands covered his own and gently pulled the ends of the necklace from his hands. No words were needed as he tipped his head forward to give Leo a better view of the chain, though the fingertips smoothing the metal down once it was clasped pulled a soft sound from the back of his throat.

As they walked down to dinner, Leo realized that he had left his jacket back in his room. For a moment, he thought about going back for it, but decided against it. There was no point when it would just come right back off again after. He and Rei both had their hands in their pockets to help resist the temptation of touching one another. Whatever was between them was too new to be put out in the open, they weren’t ready for that. So instead, they talked and laughed like they always had, and tried to act like nothing had changed. For the most part, they were successful, but from the looks he caught every now and then, it became obvious that Jabi at the very least already knew. Leo decided that he didn’t give a damn. She could think and know whatever she wanted, it didn’t matter. He knew she respected both of them enough to not say anything until he or Rei spoke up.

As dinner was winding down and everyone was feeling relaxed, Rei yawned. It wasn’t a very genuine yawn for anyone who knew him well, but it was believable enough to pass. “Is it worth it to go on a patrol tonight?” He really hoped no one thought it was. There was a nice tv in his room and his favorite movies were all there waiting to be watched. And if he was really lucky, Leo would come and join him.

“No, I don’t think so. And as far as I know, none of us have gotten any word from the Senate stating otherwise.” Kouga shook his head and tossed back the last of his second glass of wine. That was the most he ever allowed himself to have, and even then only on nights off. “Besides, I think we all deserve a night to relax. The last few days have been rough.”

Tsubasa smiled faintly as he picked at the remnants of his dessert. “It’ll give me a chance to speak with Rin, if she’s still awake.”

“I’m sure she will be. You know, she always stays up as late as she can when you’re away just in case.” Jabi fussed with the hem of her sleeve and smiled softly at Tsubasa. As much of a grouchy and standoffish guy he could be, when Rin was around, he was so completely different.

"She really should know better than to do that." Shaking his head, Tsubasa scoffed in disapproval, though his smile widened. It was embarrassing to admit how much better Kouga had made his relationship with Rin, especially since the other man was an only child. But nevertheless, he did miss the girl and her innocence. 

"She also should know better than to run away and come here all the way from Kantai, and look how well that turned out." Smirking from his seat at the head of the table, Kouga moved to stand. "Give her my regards?"

Tsubasa shot Kouga a look of utter disapproval before sighing and nodding. "There was more to the situation than just that, though you aren't wrong. I'll tell her you said she needs to behave herself and go to bed on time, rather than stay up so late."

Kouga laughed softly. "By all means. If I must be the villain, then that is a cross I will bear without argument in this case." Pulling Kaoru's chair out, he took her hand and bid everyone else a good night. The artist had been nearly asleep in her chair after her first day of training, and it was time for her to rest.

The next to bid farewell was Jabi, who excused herself due to a mysterious errand she needed to do first thing in the morning. After she left, Tsubasa headed up to his own room to contact his little sister, leaving Rei and Leo alone again. The silver knight fiddled with the edge of his napkin for a moment before speaking hesitantly. "Are you off to bed, then?"

With no one else in the room, Leo had no problem turning in his chair to smile at Rei. "No, I'm not really that tired, yet. Have you got something in mind?" Spending more time with the man next to him sounded so much better than being alone in his room for the rest of the night.

Rei smiled happily and nodded at Leo. "Would you like to come watch a movie with me? We can even go see what we can rustle up from the kitchen to have as snacks, if you want."

"No more food for me, thanks. But I'd be happy to join you. Where shall we watch at?" Having grown up essentially in the middle of a forest, Leo hadn't had much opportunity to see movies or indulge in supposed 'normal' forms of entertainment.

"In my room. I have a nice tv we can use in there."

Leo nodded and grinned at Rei. “Ok. I think I’ll go change into something a little more comfortable for lounging around in, first. Should I meet you there?” He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t curious to see the other knight’s room. Was it set up differently from his own? Did it differ structurally in any way, such as the window?

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Nodding in return, Rei finally stood up from his seat. He thanked his lucky stars that he hadn’t squeaked yet, while feeling ridiculous for getting so excited over something so trivial. He wasn’t even planning anything naughty for during the movie, for crying out loud! “Just come on in when you’re ready, ok?”

“I can do that. Should I bring anything other than myself?” It was all Leo could do to keep from ducking his head to kiss Rei as they walked out of the dining room and toward the stairs. The shorter man was adorably excited for this opportunity, which was amping up his own anticipation as well.

Shaking his head, Rei grinned. “Nope, that is all you need to bring with you. I’ll see you when you’re ready.” Taking a quick look around, he made sure no one was still milling about before stretching up to steal a brief kiss. Dropping back down to his normal height, Rei raced up the stairs without waiting for Leo. He had to make sure his room was presentable, after all.


	20. Chapter 20

The next morning, Both knights were rolling their necks and shoulders as they shuffled into the dining room for breakfast. They’d fallen asleep on the comfy couch in front of Rei’s tv, leading them to wake at an awkward angle. The dining room had a very tense atmosphere as they snuck in, leaving Rei and Leo trying to look like they weren’t at all late to arrive. Doing his best to diffuse the tension, Rei reached over to swipe a bit of food from Kouga’s plate. “So, what did I miss?”

Tsubasa was the first to speak from his seat next to Jabi. “No one has heard from Rekka in a while. Rin said she left the village at the same time Jabi did, but no one knows where she was headed to.”

Leo frowned. He hadn’t worked with the girl that often before being assigned to work with Kouga, but that seemed odd to him. “Is that normal for her to do? Just...vanish?”

Kouga and Jabi shared a look. “It is and it isn’t.” The priestess replied, picking at her food idly. “Usually, she’ll tell someone where she’s off to, just in case. But it wouldn’t be the first time she forgot to do that.”

“Jabi’s right. I trained with Rekka’s father when I was a boy, and even as a child, she would go off on her own now and then for whatever reason.” Kouga looked positively pensive from his seat at the head of the table.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Leo tried to think about where Rekka may have gone. “Didn’t she have a male priest she usually worked with? I can’t recall his name, but perhaps she informed him?”

The pensive look on Kouga’s face turned into disappointment. “Yes, she does. I didn’t even think of that. We should try to find him to contact him.”

At his left, Jabi shook her head. “Did that already, he hadn’t heard, either. But he didn’t seem worried that she’s done this. Maybe it’s more common than we think?”

While she didn’t know Rekka well, Kaoru was still concerned for the woman. “What does she do when she does this?”

“Only thing I can think of would be that she’s training. That’s the only reason she would need to just up and go like that, right?” Rei shrugged and poured himself another cup of coffee.

Everyone sat and stewed over Rei’s words for a long moment. They did make sense, though no one knew what her reason for being silent was. There was no need to be secretive about training, after all. After contemplating that for a good while, Jabi smiled at Rei. “You’re probably right. I bet she’s just out training on her own. That totally sounds like something she would do.”

“Speaking of training, that’s something we should all do. There’s still no word from the Senate, so we might as well spar. It would be pretty pathetic to lose just because there was a lull in the influx of orders.” The mood in the room was much lighter now that they had settled the matter of Rekka’s whereabouts somewhat, leaving everyone feeling a bit more relaxed.

Kaoru looked at her watch and flailed just a little bit as she tried to hurry and finish eating. “Jabi-san, I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to practice anything today. I have a book signing event this morning, and then meetings with my editor over the next book I’m doing after lunch. And I need to hurry, or I’ll be late to the signing.”

“No need to apologize, Kaoru-chan. I have a project of my own that I can work on. Good luck today!” Smiling warmly, Jabi shook off Kaoru’s apologies. It was actually fortunate that the petite woman was going to be busy, she could get started on the ring Kouga had asked her to make, after all.

A look of relief washed over Kaoru’s face as she bowed to Jabi. “Thank you! I’ll make it up by working twice as hard tomorrow.” With one last smile and wave, she dashed out of the dining room and toward the car that Gonza so helpfully had ready to take her where she needed to go.

“So what’s this project of yours?” Rei was fairly certain he knew, but he leaned forward on his elbows and asked anyway.

Seeing the curious looks on Leo and Tsubasa’s faces as well, Kouga sighed and sat up a little straighter. “I asked her to help craft an engagement ring for Kaoru.”

Tsubasa grinned, looking a little smug. “Good to see you listened and paid attention to our discussion the day we patrolled together. And I must say, after having spent time with her yesterday afternoon, she is a good match for you, Kouga. Kaoru-san grounds you well.”

Leo nodded just a bit eagerly at Tsubasa before beaming at Kouga. “Congratulations, Kouga-san, that’s wonderful news. I’m sure that Kaoru-san will be thrilled to see the ring when it’s done.”

A faint blush stole over Kouga’s cheeks. “She doesn’t know I’m going to propose. I want it to be a surprise.”

“We won’t say a word, I promise.” Tsubasa gave Rei and Leo pointed looks until the pair nodded in agreement with his words. He knew they were quite close to Kaoru, and didn’t want them to ruin the surprise in a moment of weakness.

Though he nodded and agreed with Tsubasa, Rei did feel it necessary to defend himself somewhat. “To be fair, I knew before Jabi did.” Glancing over, he saw the curious look on Leo’s face and smiled. “I tagged along yesterday and helped Kouga pick out the gems.”

“Oh, right. You mentioned going out into the city with Kouga-san. I’m glad you were able to help him.” The curiosity turned to a warm smile before Leo went back to picking at his breakfast. A few more bites disappeared before he looked up at Jabi. “If there’s anything I can do to help out, Jabi-san, just say the word.”

Jabi grinned back and nodded. “I might have you take over teaching Kaoru-chan for me if there’s something time sensitive that needs doing. Otherwise, I’m only going to work on it when she has other commitments. It’s the best way to keep her from suspecting anything.” She wondered if Leo was aware of just how obvious his flirting with Rei was, but didn’t ask. She didn’t want the poor boy to choke on his food, after all.


	21. Chapter 21

The topic of the engagement ring was quickly derailed as Gonza came into the dining room with a summons from the Senate. Handing the red envelope to Kouga, he stood back and waited to see what would happen. He’d spent his entire adult life doing these sorts of things, and he knew he wasn’t going to get any younger, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that he supported Kouga-sama and the other knights in every way he could for as long as he could.

Burning the letter to see the message, Kouga sighed. He had known that the peace they’d had yesterday wouldn’t last long, but that was life. “Jabi, it looks like you’re the only one not being summoned for orders today. The rest of us are to go see Grace to get assignments throughout the city. It sounds like there will be quite a few to eliminate today.” As the mystic text vanished into the ether, he looked down the table. “Leo, Tsubasa, is there any spell that will allow us to stay in contact?”

“You mean, like a radio, or something? Yeah. It’s pretty easy, but I can’t do it until we go to the Senate. There are pieces that we need, first.” Before the other knight could answer, Leo jumped on the topic and nodded fervently. He had been the one to create such a thing, after all. It was modeled after the hands free devices that were so common and popular in the mundane world, but it ran on magic and could connect more than two people.

Honestly, Tsubasa was glad that Leo had beat him to the punch. He didn’t know about such things, after all. Looking at Kouga, his eyes were full of determination. “So we split the city four ways, then? I’ll take the south-west quadrant.”

A faint smile was flashed at Leo before Kouga nodded at Tsubasa. “Yes, we will. I’ll take south-east, that’s where Kaoru will be doing all of her business.” It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his three companions to protect the woman he loved, he just didn’t trust them as much as he trusted himself.

“And I’ll stay here and see how much work I can get done on Kaoru-chan’s ring. Be careful, all of you.” She knew that they were strong, and four of the most competent knight around, but that didn’t stop her from worrying. Unable to help herself, she risked a glance over at Tsubasa. As much as she loved Kouga like family, he was not the one that she worried for the most. He had someone else to do that for him.

Rising from his seat, Rei stretched and popped his back. “Guess we better go and get ready, huh.” He and Leo were still in their pajamas, essentially, which would not be good for fighting horrors. He tried to keep his gaze firmly on the friendship side of things as he watched the taller man stand, but had a feeling he’d failed. Then again, he challenged anyone to watch Leo move and not find something to appreciate about the sight.

Nodding, Leo tugged the collar of his shirt down a bit. It was a nervous habit from his childhood anytime he was anxious about something. “Yes, our normal clothing will provide far better defense against the strength of the horrors.” Bowing politely to Jabi and the other two knights, he led the way our of the dining room and back upstairs. As they reached the second floor, he glanced over at Rei with a shy smile. “East or west? Since we’re both going to be in the northern half of the city today.”

Rei tapped his chin with one finger as he thought. “I’ll take east.” Even though he was certain no one else was in the hallway with them, he still did a quick check in both directions before gently reaching up and placing a hand on the back of Leo’s neck to pull the other man down for a soft kiss. “Don’t know if I’ll have time for this once we hit the streets, so...be careful out there, ok?”

Smiling softly, Leo kissed Rei again before nodding. “I will be. So you do the same thing, understand?” He was far from ready to let Rei go, they had barely had time to be together yet. While the hand on the back of his neck was a very welcome warmth, Leo did eventually pull away. “We should get ready before they send up a search party.”

Nodding at the tall man’s thinly veiled command, Rei took a step toward his own door. “Don’t forget Eruba. I expect to see her on your hand before we leave.” Madogu worked with and for knights for a reason, and the last thing he wanted was for Leo to not have that little extra protection that the ring would give him.

“Hai, I’ll wear her today, I give you my word.” Chuckling softly, Leo stepped into his room and dressed for the day.


	22. Chapter 22

Downstairs, Kouga and Tsubasa loitered in the foyer as they waited for the other two men. Kouga watched his counterpart wander the fringes of the room to look at all the paintings on the walls with a faint smile. Every last one was the original work, which made them all the more special. “So, do you think they know?”

Turning around, Tsubasa smirked. “Who, Leo and Rei? And what is it you’re wondering if they know?” Walking back over to the other man, he resisted the urge to twirl his staff idly. It was something that he usually did when bored, but it would be rude inside someone’s home.

“I was wondering if they know how obvious they were being at breakfast. Because, really, if the most socially stunted among us can tell, it’s pretty damn obvious.” Kouga was, of course, speaking about himself in that regard. He hadn’t ever spent time with peers his own age during puberty to learn how flirting worked, which was why he was so terrible at it. And why he thanked his lucky stars that Kaoru loved him anyway. He had certainly been boorish to her at the beginning of their relationship.

Raising an eyebrow, Tsubasa planted his staff against the floor and leaned on it. “Ok, no. You don’t get to call yourself the ‘most socially stunted’ anymore. You’re the only one with a successful relationship. And I’m not socially stunted, I just don’t pay attention to that sort of thing.”

Snorting softly, Kouga smirked. “Well, that explains a lot.”

Tsubasa frowned. “What do you mean?”

“If you paid more attention to ‘that sort of thing,’ you would realize how much Jabi has been throwing herself at you time and time again, in just the last day, even. I had just assumed you didn’t return her interest, I didn’t think it was because you were too dense to notice it in the first place.” Kouga’s voice was very matter-of-fact as he spoke, leaving no room to doubt that he was well aware of where his surrogate sister’s affections lay.

Blushing furiously, Tsubasa sputtered. “I...but she...and...really?” He couldn’t wrap his brain around the idea of Jabi wanting him like that when all she’d ever done was antagonize him relentlessly.

Rolling his eyes, Kouga patted Tsubasa on the back. “Her flirting method is perhaps a bit childish, but it also suits her personality. And if there is no chance you could ever return her feelings, then you need to make that clear to her. Because if you break her heart by stringing her along, I will break you.”

Having only caught the tail end of Kouga’s words, Rei looked rather perplexed as he and Leo came down the stairs. They hadn’t actually intended to keep pace with each other like that, but neither was complaining, either. “Wait, why are you breaking Tsubasa? We need him intact, in case you forgot.”

“I won’t break him unless he breaks Jabi’s heart.” Stepping away from Tsubasa, Kouga rolled his shoulders and got serious. “Let’s go.”

Across the city in a local bookstore, Kaoru sat in the middle of a group of young children. She read the text of the book upside down while showing them the pictures, which was quite easy for her to do. She was, after all, both author and illustrator. This particular book introduced the silver knight, who started out as an enemy and ended up as a friend. Like always, the children hung on every word, and oohed and aahed at each page's image. At the end of the book, there was a round of applause from children and parents alike as she stood and bowed in thanks. She moved to the table to sign all the copies that were there as people came up, and even some of her older books that people had brought along. One little girl asked if there was going to be anymore books with the gold knight, to which Kaoru happily replied that she had one in the works that would also have the silver knight and two more new friends. All the children who heard cheered happily, which brought a bright smile to her face.

After the signing was over, Kaoru left the bookstore and headed toward a plaza that was surrounded by several restaurants. She had about two hours until she had to meet with her editor, so it was the perfect time to grab a bite to eat. As she stepped into the plaza, her face lit up with a smile as she saw Kouga there. Jogging over, she stopped just shy of him and tucked some hair behind her ear. “Kouga, I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

Looking at the petite woman with a smile of his own, Kouga tapped the comm on his ear. “If you haven’t run across a target, take a moment to rest and eat.”

“Say hello to Kaoru-chan for us~.” Rei’s playful voice rang in his ear, drawing a roll of Kouga’s eyes.

Kaoru giggled softly and moved to look at the communicator on Kouga’s ear. “Magic bluetooth?”

Kouga chuckled softly and nodded. “Something like that. How did your book signing go?” Turning slightly, he offered her his arm. “Can I buy you lunch?” Yes, he was technically on the job, but he still needed to eat to have the energy to hunt effectively.

“Absolutely!” Kaoru smiled and took Kouga’s arm. “Shall we eat outside? Or see if there are any seats inside at one of the nicer places here? And the book signing went spectacularly, thank you.” There was a wide variety of food, ranging from food carts to fine dining, spread around the place. Thankfully, the weather was still quite nice, so sitting outside wouldn’t be much of an issue.

Looking around at the different options, Kouga had to admit that he was in the mood for more common fare. There was a ramen shop tucked off to one side that seemed to be popular, and his stomach growled at the idea. “How about ramen?”

Following her boyfriend’s gaze, Kaoru grinned. “Only if you buy me a plate of gyoza, too.” Winking up at Kouga, she bit back a laugh. It was such a mundane action, just having lunch, but it was rare enough to make it a special occasion.

“Ok, I’ll get you a plate of gyoza. Pick out a table and I’ll go get the food.” As they approached the shop, he saw a multitude of people coming out with trays holding huge bowls and anything else that had been ordered. “Tea alright?”

Nodding happily, Kaoru released Kouga’s arm and adjusted the strap of her bag. “Tea is good for me.”

As he moved up in line, Kouga did his best to keep an eye on Kaoru, but it wasn’t always possible. Still, he was certain that she was still safe. He ended up with two trays, which were a bit awkward to balance, but he managed to get to the table his girlfriend had grabbed. Setting both down carefully, he took his seat with a sigh. “And lunch is served.”

“You’re the best, Kouga~.” Kaoru grabbed one of the sets of disposable chopsticks and snapped them apart like a pro. She’d managed to dig a hair tie out of her bag and loosely tied her long locks back and out of the way. Picking up a piece of gyoza, she blew on it to cool it off before popping it in her mouth.

“Is it good?” Kouga had opted to sip at his bottled tea as he let the broth of his ramen cool some. He wanted to taste it, not burn his tongue.

After she’d finished the gyoza, she pushed the plate closer to him. “It’s delicious. You’re welcome to try some.” This was such an utterly mundane event for them, and she loved it. “So I take it you’re working today?” She couldn’t imagine him having that communicator otherwise.

While it wasn’t something he would normally go for, Kouga gave the little dumpling a try. It was hot, and more of a mouthful than he’d been expecting, but it was tasty enough. “Not bad. And yes, the Senate has us all hunting, so we split up. Leo mentioned that he’d made these communication devices, so that’s how we’re staying in contact.”

Nodding along, Kaoru started in on her bowl of noodles and soup. “Is it weird working in a team? Since you’ve been working alone for so long, that is.” She couldn’t imagine after years of being an artist with no one telling her what to do or draw or paint only to suddenly have to have the input of even one extra person on a regular basis. It was why she wrote the books she drew rather than having someone else do it.

Kouga was silent for a while as he ate his lunch and contemplated just how to answer Kaoru’s question. It was complicated for him, to be honest. Once he was about halfway through his bowl, he finally looked and pursed his lips for a moment. “It...is and isn’t. I’m not used to having others there on a consistent basis, so I forget that I have the help available if I might need it sometimes. But we also mesh well enough that we can read each other’s moves and work together effectively. It’s nice for days like this because we can each take part of the city to search and be more proactive in our hunting, as opposed to waiting for signs and trails left behind in the wake of deaths. We can save more people’s lives this way, and there is nothing that can convince me that is a bad thing.”

“I see. That’s a very good explanation, I like it.” Smiling warmly, Kaoru nursed her tea for a moment. “I’m glad you’re not working alone anymore. It’s so dangerous, and the thought of you going out every night without anyone to watch your back...bothers me. A lot. But, even with as much as you bicker with him, once Rei stopped being an enemy and became an ally, I worried less. And now you have Tsubasa-san and Leo-kun, too. None of you have to fight alone anymore, and I’m glad the Senate doesn’t expect you to.” She’d never met anyone from the Senate before, which annoyed her at times, but she figured that would change eventually.

As they finished eating, Kouga turned the conversation more toward Kaoru and her work in an effort to keep the mood light and cheerful. She told him all about the book signing event and how happy all the children had been to get to hear her tell the story. He knew it well, having already read the copy that was sitting at home safely locked away with the copy of her father’s book that she had given him before going to study in Italy. In fact, there was a copy of every book she had done in that same safe haven. Occasionally, he would pull them out and read through each one, imagining the day one of them would read the stories to their children. It was something that he was a little embarrassed to admit, even to himself, but he wanted a family with Kaoru so very, very much. A few little boys to name after their own fathers, at least one little girl who would be the spitting image of her mother, that was all. He didn’t want a house full of children, unless Kaoru did. But that wasn’t something to discuss yet. He still hadn’t even proposed to her, after all.


	23. Chapter 23

Once their meal was done, Kaoru had to head off to her editor’s office. It was only a few blocks from the plaza, easily within walking distance. She was fully prepared to say goodbye to Kouga once they got to the street corner, but he surprised her, yet again, by offering up his arm once more. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially not one so handsome, she was more than happy to let him escort her the rest of the way. When they reached the correct office building, she looked up with a happy smile. “When I’m done here, Gonza is supposed to come and pick me up, so I’ll probably beat you all back home. Will you be coming home tonight?”

“Yes, but probably not in time for dinner. So go ahead and eat without us, alright?” Grace hadn’t said that they needed to keep at it until every horror was eliminated, so there was no reason not to regroup each night and compare notes before getting rest. Before he left her for her meeting with her editor, Kouga decided to do something very bold and daring. He leaned in and kissed Kaoru softly. In broad daylight, in the middle of a busy path, uncaring of who saw or what they thought. It was one of the bravest things he’d ever done, and he was glad that his thick shirt hid the way his heart raced at the thrill of it all. “Have a good meeting, and I will see you tonight.”

Kaoru’s face was as red as the skirt she was wearing, which was a very lovely shade of the color. The last thing she had expected Kouga to do was to kiss her in public like that! Even though it had been a chaste kiss, her heart hammered from the rush of doing something that was still considered to be a huge violation of the norm. Nodding meekly at his parting words, she stared in stunned silence as his long white coat billowed from the fall breeze that was sweeping through. He was already a literally knight in shining armor, but the fairytale prince part was new. And she liked it!

As he flipped on his communicator again, Kouga could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. Clearing his throat, he tapped the small device to connect to the rest of his team. “Did I miss much?”

Rei’s laugh sounded a little odd filtered through the magic powering and connecting the earpieces, but it was still obviously him. “Mm, not really. I thought I had one, but I lost track of the bastard. The human host knows this area way better than I do.”

“Well, that’s a problem I forsee running into far more often than I like.” Kouga frowned and went back to his patrolling. “The human hosts seem to all be of the types that are naturally going to be more comfortable in lower income areas with lots of places to hide.”

The next reply came from Tsubasa, and was far less encouraging than he’d hoped. “All quiet on the western front. Leo and I haven’t seen a damn thing.”

Rei snorted in amusement as he meandered through side alleys. “Wow, Tsubasa, I’m impressed. That’s a movie title.”

“It was a book, first. I read it when I was a kid.” Had anyone been looking at Tsubasa, they would have seen a faint blush dusting his cheeks. So he liked to read and watch old movies, what of it?

Leo chuckled. “I think he’s more impressed that you aren’t a workaholic who knows only the bare essentials about mundane culture.” Honestly, he was, too. But that was immaterial.

“How about we just focus?” There was exasperation in Kouga’s tone, along with amusement. “The sooner we can wrap up today’s patrol, the sooner we can all go back home.” Various noises of assent sounded in his ear as he squared his shoulders and got busy.

The rest of the day, week, and even month continued on that thread. Kaoru would train with Jabi in the mornings and work in the afternoons, while the gentlemen continued to patrol the city. They changed around from time to time in regard to who had what area, just to try and keep things interesting. By the time Jabi got the ring done, over a month had passed since she’d started to create it, but that was fine. It was perfect, and the spellwork was top notch. Once she was absolutely certain it was flawless, she took it up to Kouga’s study.

Kouga accepted the ring happily, but then grew a bit nervous. It wasn’t that he doubted Kaoru’s answer when he asked, it was that he wanted to be sure that the proposal lived up to any expectations she may have had. The fact that he couldn’t think of a way to ask her if such expectations existed in the first place was immaterial in his mind. The more he wondered and worried about the how of the proposal, the grumpier and more withdrawn he became. He was starting to regress back to his old attitude. It even got bad enough that he and Rei nearly came to blows one day while Jabi had Kaoru out for training.


	24. Chapter 24

On the day things came to a head, Rei ended up pushing Kouga against a wall. “The hell is wrong with you, man? This isn’t like you and it hasn’t been for a long time.” The silver knight was beyond fed up.

“Get off me!” With a hard shove, Kouga pushed Rei away and started stalking toward him. “The hell is your issue?”

“My issue? My issue is that you’re snapping at everyone for everything under the goddamn sun! And I’ll be damned if I let you off without an explanation. Kaoru is really getting worried about you, Kouga.” It was low of him, he knew, but Rei was speaking the truth.

Hearing that the woman he loved was worrying about his behavior seemed to deflate Kouga quite quickly. Stopping in his tracks, he sighed and raked a hand through his hair. “Damn it….” Turning, he slunk over to a chair and sat down.

Rei followed, opting to sit on the arm of the chair Leo was in. It was a rare day off for the knights, and they were trying to take advantage of it. “Seriously, Kouga, what’s going on?”

“Jabi finished the ring over a week ago.”

Leaning forward in his seat, Leo looked out from behind Rei. “And you haven’t proposed yet? What’s the matter, Kouga-san?”

Kouga wrung his hands anxiously. “It needs to be perfect. I won’t accept anything less. The problem is I don’t know how to define ‘perfect’ in this context. Because I don’t know how to be romantic or anything like that. I mean, I have ideas, but I don’t know if they’re any good.”

“Alright, so you’re understandably upset. What can we do to help?” In his time living there, Tsubasa had become quite fond of both Kaoru and Kouga. The other knight was like a brother to him, and they had many similarities in what they considered entertaining.

“I’m not sure. Other than to smack some sense into me.” Leaning back, Kouga slumped in the chair. “Is it enough to take her out for a nice dinner? Will she expect some form of entertainment? Is she going to think I’m not myself if I buy her flowers? Are red roses too stereotypical? Am I trying too hard?”

From his perch on the arm of Leo’s chair, Rei nudged Kouga’s leg with the toe of his shoe. “A nice dinner is totally enough. You think Kaoru’s going to think you’re not well if you get her flowers? She’s going to think you’ve been replaced with a body double if you go for anything too elaborate.”

“If you really want to drive the point home that this dinner isn’t just business as usual, so to speak, wear something other than your knight clothing and drive her to dinner yourself.” Leo still remembered getting to ride with Kouga on their first assignment together from the Senate.

“And didn’t Kaoru-chan go study in Italy for a while after Messiah? You could take her to an authentic place for dinner.” Rei had to think about that one for a while. He had been in trouble at that point, but had stayed local while Kouga went north for a brief period.

Smiling faintly at the advice the other two were giving, Tsubasa cleared his throat softly. “I may not be well versed in the language of flowers, but I do know that red roses are a symbol of true love. And you can always arrange to have them waiting at the restaurant. Or just give her a single one.”

Leo and Rei looked at each other for a moment before nodding. “Ok, that is a great idea. And much easier to be sneaky about. Because you want this to be a surprise, I take it?”

Even though he felt a little overwhelmed, Kouga nodded along. “The proposal, yes. But I did intend to tell her about dinner. And I think a single rose might go over very well.” A small smile was growing on his face as he thought about what he needed to do to make it all work just right.

Standing up to stretch, Tsubasa placed a hand on Kouga’s shoulder. “Just let us know when you want to do this. We’ll cover for you so you can focus solely on Kaoru-san and have a proper date.”

Rei smirked up at Tsubasa as he tried to not react to the way Leo’s hand stroking his back felt. “You know that means you’ll be working with Jabi, right?”

From the angle he was at, Tsubasa could see a long fingered hand moving over the silver knight’s back. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, he just shrugged instead. “For a good cause, I can tolerate her for a few hours. I’m going to go contact Rin and see how she’s doing so that she can sleep at a decent time tonight.”

“And I have restaurants to research.” While he couldn’t see through Rei, Kouga had a fairly good idea what was going on. He was happy for the other two knights, and more than willing to give them a bit of privacy. Pushing himself up and out of his chair, he rolled his shoulders and headed toward the stairs that would lead to his study.


	25. Chapter 25

It took another two weeks, and an impromptu girls day out for Kaoru and Jabi, before Kouga was finally ready to pop the question. He would have happily done so sooner, but the restaurant had been booked full. Stepping out of the shower, he made sure he hadn’t missed any spots while shaving before going back into the bedroom to get dressed. His best suit had been cleaned and pressed just for tonight and was hanging on the closet door.

All day long, Kaoru had been quietly freaking out. She and Kouga hadn’t even really gone on a formal date before, and now he was taking her to one of the most expensive restaurants in the city. And he’d paid for the fanciest dress she had ever worn! The lavender cocktail dress was laid out on Jabi’s bed as the priestess worked on Kaoru’s hair. Her makeup was already done, nothing more than light layers to accent her eyes and cheekbones. She’d even pulled out the pearl necklace that used to belong to her mother for the little extra bit of class.

“There~. All done.” Jabi grinned at Kaoru in the mirror after sliding the last pin in place. She’d curled the artist’s hair and pinned half of it into an elaborate psuedo-bun. “You look amazing, Kaoru-chan. Now, let’s get your dress on and you’ll be ready to go.”

Nodding absently, Kaoru traded the light robe she’d been wearing for the dress that fell just past her knees. There was a gorgeous grey woolen wrap that went with the gown to keep her warm, but it was waiting for her downstairs. She held her hair out of the way so Jabi could zip the back up before stepping into the high heels and moving to look in the mirror. “He’s going to like it, right?”

With the shoes on, Jabi was amused by the fact that Kaoru was now her height. She fussed with the artist's curls to make sure they would fall just so before nodding at their reflections. "He'll love it, Kaoru. He loves you so much, you could wear a flour sack and he'd think you're gorgeous." Picking up the pearl necklace, she put it around Kaoru’s neck and stepped away with a grin. “You’re ready. Shall we go downstairs?”

She didn’t know why, perhaps because they had belonged to her mother, but the pearls really did make Kaoru feel like she was ready for this. She didn’t see the sort of grungy, paint-covered artist that was normally looking back at her in the mirror, she saw a sophisticated woman ready for a night out. Pulling her shoulders back, she held her head high and smiled at her reflection. “Almost. Just need my bag.”

The bag in question was made of soft leather and matched the wool wrap she’d be wearing in lieu of a coat. Inside, she had all the essentials. Lipstick, her compact, her phone and identification, everything she might need for a night out. Picking it up from the vanity, Jabi handed the small clutch to her friend and student with a grin. “You look like a modern day princess.”

“Now I know you’re buttering me up, Jabi-san.” Of course, Kaoru couldn’t help grinning at the compliment. Much like how she kept grinning at the way her heels clicked against the hardwood floor of the stairs that led down to the first floor, since Jabi’s room was on the same level as the three knights who would be patrolling and taking care of the city so that her boyfriend could have a night off. Kaoru had never had much opportunity to wear high heels before, so getting to do so was a treat all of its own, and she was thankful that she actually could walk in them properly.

Jabi followed Kaoru down to the foyer so that she could go out on patrol with the guys. She hadn’t gotten a good fight in a while, so it would be a treat to get to go cover for Kouga. And if she was exceptionally lucky, she and Tsubasa would be able to make amends and find some common ground to get along, for once. “Have a good time at dinner and don’t worry about a thing, ok? The boys and I will take care of any problems that come up so that you and Kouga can have a nice night out.”

Kaoru nodded absently as Jabi’s words went in one ear and out the other. She saw Kouga standing by the mantle, looking sharp and dapper in a dark grey suit. The color looked quite stunning on him, accenting his light hair and dark eyes. With the way he was dressed, she could imagine him for the first time as someone who came from money, and who had as much as he did, unlike when he wore his knight’s clothing. A swarm of butterflies let loose in her stomach as he turned at the sound of her heels, praying that he would like what he saw.

As he’d waited in the foyer, Kouga had tried to keep calm and collected. That had failed rather spectacularly, leaving him pacing anxiously. He was the bearer of Garo, the last of the Saejima line, he should have been above such feelings. Still, he felt them, and did not perhaps handle them as well as he could have. He’d stopped near the mantle to try and calm his breathing and his racing heart when he started hearing the heels clicking over the stairs, not wanting Kaoru to see him in such a state. It didn’t matter that Rei would be laughing at him for it later, he could throw down with the silver knight any day of the week. But he was only going to get one shot at proposing to Kaoru. As the clicking grew louder, Kouga steadied his resolve and turned to see her, only to feel breathless all over again. She was stunning to look at. He could see the loose curls in her hair, a departure from the naturally straight way she normally wore it. The pearls around her neck gave her an air of elegance and sophistication, and she wore that air like she’d breathed it all her life. The bodice of the dress highlighted her petite frame, allowing the skirt to billow out just enough to provide her the space to keep a natural stride. Swallowing thickly, he stepped toward the stairs, oblivious to everyone else in the room.

Seeing Kouga waiting for her at the foot of the stairs with his hand out for her to take made Kaoru smile. She placed her small hand in his own and squeaked in surprise when he pulled her close and dipped her playfully. By the time she was upright again, all her nerves were forgotten in favor of laughing softly. “Kouga, that was mean! I almost slipped, you know.”

“Would I ever drop you?” Brushing a curl back over her shoulder, Kouga kept his arms looped loosely around her waist as he smiled down at Kaoru.

The heels certainly helped make things a little more even when Kouga held her like this. Kaoru smoothed her hands over his lapels as she raised an eyebrow at him and smiled. “Well, there was that one time...”

“That was then. This is now.” At least Kouga had the good grace to look sheepish at that. Leaning down to kiss her gently, he smiled softly. “You look stunning, by the way. That’s a very good color on you.”

“I could say the same to you. This suit looks really good on you.” A faint blush stained Kaoru’s cheeks, giving her a healthy glow. The blush darkened considerably when she heard snickering and recalled that she and Kouga were not alone. Taking a proper look around the foyer for the first time, she saw Rei leaning behind Leo against the back of a chair while Tsubasa stood off to the side. “Ah...I didn’t notice everyone was here…”

Rei laughed brightly, ducking his head between his arms for a moment. “That’s quite alright, Kaoru-chan. But Kouga’s right, you look gorgeous.” The silver knight smiled happily at her from his spot before giving a mock salute. “Leave everything else to us tonight, ne?”

Giggling softly, Kaoru nodded and bowed prettily. “Thank you very much. Both for the compliment and the fact that Kouga has an evening free of his duties.” While excitement and anticipation still swirled in the pit of her stomach, Kaoru was feeling more relaxed and sure of herself already. It was a nice feeling that she usually got from selling a painting, so it was a delightful change to get it from just being dressed up for a fancy dinner out with the man she loved. “Try not to get into any trouble of your own, though? For my sake?”

Pushing away from the chair he was leaning on, Rei strode over to bow deeply to Kaoru. “I’ll do my best, but I make no promises.” There was a playful smile on his face when he looked up at her, but his words were absolutely sincere. He would never make the girl he loved like family worry if he could help it.

"I suppose that's all I can ask of you." Kaoru shook her head with a smile as she ruffled Rei's hair playfully. 

"If it is an emergency..." Kouga started, more than willing to step in if he absolutely had to. Obviously, he would much rather not have to, but that was just the way of things.

"We will contact the Senate for help. You two deserve this evening." Jabi cut Kouga off before he could offer to be called in in an emergency. She wanted two of her best friends to be happy, not constantly putting their lives on hold to fight horrors. "Now hurry up before you miss your reservation."

Smiling faintly, Kouga bowed to Jabi before offering Kaoru his arm. At the door, Gonza handed her the wool wrap to keep warm while Kouga donned a winter coat of his own. It was nearly Christmas, after all, so there was no sense in not wearing one. Especially since he'd bought it specifically to avoid having to use his normal white trench coat. Once they were both ready, he led his soon to be fiancé out to the sports car that was already running and warm.


	26. Chapter 26

As soon as they stepped outside, the winter air bit at Kaoru, reminding her that perhaps she should have chosen a dress that would have covered more skin. Or perhaps she should have chosen a pair of tights or stockings, anything to keep her legs warm. Thankfully, it wasn't a long walk down to the car, and she sighed happily as she settled into her seat at the warm air coming from the vents. She smiled as Kouga got behind the wheel and started driving, having obviously plotted a course ahead of time. "I had no idea you had such a nice car, I like it." The way the engine purred and revved as he switched gears or stopped at a light seemed like they suited Kouga in a primal way, though she would never phrase it out loud that way. 

Smirking a bit to himself, Kouga knew he was showing off a bit. Ok, a lot. Still, who could blame him? He hardly wanted his cars getting wrecked by horrors on a regular basis. For one thing, it was hell on his insurance premiums. "It's fairly new, I'm glad you like it. I finally broke down and replaced the one that a horror trashed." Had he not been driving a stick shift, he would happily have been holding Kaoru's hand, but that wasn't really possible. It would probably shock most people that knew him just how affectionate and tactile Kouga was in private, but he thoroughly enjoyed every simple touch he could get when he and Kaoru were alone. 

When they finally reached the restaurant, a few minutes early for their reservation and everything, Kouga glared at the valet as he handed over the car keys. He wanted the younger man with the vacant expression to be extra careful with his car, it hadn't been cheap. Thankfully, he was reasonably certain the man was not possessed by a horror since Zaruba didn't attempt to signal him in any way. Placing a hand on Kaoru's lower back, he led her into the restaurant and out of the cold winter air. 

Across town, Rei and Tsubasa were discussing the best way to divide up the patrolling. Considering the time of day, they were rather torn over whether to prioritize hunting grounds over recruitment zones. Horrors possessing custodians and construction crews would be on their way to work and to the busier parts of the city, while the ones possessing part time workers and and other fringe elements would be heading back to the lower income districts for cheap entertainment or groups of similar individuals who would make good hosts. Since both areas were of high concern, they decided to work in teams of two. As much as he was reluctant to do so, Tsubasa actually volunteered to go with Jabi into the residential zones. He knew what a good team Rei and Leo made, and was reluctant to mess with that. Besides, maybe he and Jabi would be able to come to a better understanding with each other. Kouga’s words from when the priest had first arrived were still running through his head, making him question exactly how he felt about her.

As the four split up, Rei didn’t even bother pretending that he was anything less than thrilled about being paired with Leo. While they hadn’t put a name to anything yet, they were basically a couple, and there was no one else the silver knight would rather have watching his back. Even Kouga, for all his skill and power was not as desirable of a combat partner as Leo was. The taller man had been doing a great deal of practice recently to combine magic and swordplay, making him a dangerous man to cross. Sure, Tsubasa did the same, but to a significantly lesser extent. Walking side by side through the busy streets, Rei couldn’t help grinning at all the cheerful decorations in the store windows. Sure, Japan was hardly a Christian nation, but they had embraced the commercialized holiday that Christmas had become with open arms. He did admit to being a bit surprised at how much he and Tsubasa had underestimated the number of part timers still on the job, though. This could end badly if he and Leo weren’t careful.

While Leo and Rei strolled down brightly lit streets, Tsubasa and Jabi traversed dark alleys and largely empty roads. The buildings around them were sky high and made up of apartments that couldn’t have been more than three rooms, if one were to count the bath and kitchen as rooms. The cold seemed more pervasive here, even with the glow coming from the multitude of windows in the high rises all around them. Seeing Jabi try to rub some warmth into her arms, he stopped and tugged his coat off. Draping the long garment over her shoulders, he was glad it was dark in the alley. Hopefully she wouldn’t be able to see him blushing. “You should dress more sensibly.” Because, really, who went out in the middle of December in the kind of outfit she was wearing? The top showed off far too much of her chest, the sleeves of her top were nonexistent under her own-much thinner-coat, and the sad excuse for pants were barely decent enough to be properly referred to as shorts. Yes, she had stocking and boots covering her legs to make up for what the bottom part of her outfit didn’t, but that wasn’t going to be sufficient.

Jabi had started just a bit as she felt Tsubasa’s coat land on her shoulders. Smiling at his words as he stepped past her, she put her arms through the sleeves and wrapped it around herself. There was a lingering warmth inside the white and red garment, left over from the amount of time it spent wrapped around the knight in front of her, and she loved it. And while she wouldn’t admit to it without undeniable proof, Jabi couldn’t resist bringing the collar up over her face and taking a deep breath for a moment. Damn, Kaoru had been right, Tsubasa smelled amazing to her. The artist had mentioned in passing how much she took comfort in Kouga’s warmth and scent, and the words had lingered in Jabi’s head, just waiting for the right moment to come back to the forefront. And really, what better time to recall such things than when wrapped up in the coat of the man she had been pining over for the better part of a year. “I’ll be sure to dress warmer tomorrow. Thank you for your coat.”

Before the white knight could reply, or sputter through an attempt to do so, Goruba shouted from his wrist. /Tsubasa, look out!/ A horror came charging straight for him, as more appeared from behind.


	27. Chapter 27

“Damnit! How did we miss them?” Springing into action, Tsubasa pressed the release for the blade within his staff. He wasn’t going to count on just cold cocking these bastards, he was going to eliminate them.

Jabi’s brush was in her hand in a split second, firing spell after spell. “I have no idea! They’re getting better at concealing themselves, though.” And wasn’t that the most frightening thought of the day? At least they were bottlenecked in the alley, which meant that as long as she and Tsubasa kept their back to each other, there was only one angle the attacks could come from. Unless, of course, the horrors started trying to jump down at them.

Growling as they just kept coming, Tsubasa tried to put a little distance between himself and Jabi without opening either of them up to an attack from behind. “I need my armor.” He really wished they could drive the fight out ahead to the street that he could see. His fighting method would be far more effective if he had the range to actually wield his weapon properly.

Having been raised around knights, not to mention spending her adult life working with them, Jabi knew exactly how much space Tsubasa needed. Once she was sure he had it, she threw a protection spell behind herself just as a precaution. “Clear! Go for it, Tsubasa!”

As soon as he heard her voice, Tsubasa acted. He summoned his armor in a flash before charging forward. The hoard was far from endless, and he managed to clear out the line ahead of him easily enough. Pausing at the mouth of the alley, he was about to see if there were more waiting along the street when he heard a shriek coming from behind him. Spinning around, he saw that several had in fact partially scaled the building walls in order to get behind and above Jabi. They had knocked her brush out of her hands, and there were enough grabbing at her that she couldn’t cast any other spells. Readying his spear, Tsubasa let out a battle cry and charged down at them. Regardless of his own muddled feelings regarding the woman being attacked, he would never turn his back on a comrade in need. He’d been raised better than that.

As much as she struggled, Jabi could feel herself losing. There were too many hands pulling in too many directions, not to mention the ones squeezing her throat. The edges of her field of vision were growing even darker than the alley, and she knew that they would devour her if she lost consciousness. She wasn’t afraid to die, really. After all, she’d already done it once. A lack of fear was not the same as being ready or willing, though. And those were two things that Jabi very much lacked in regard to death. The sound of someone shouting trickled through her perception, like the sound was moving toward her through some viscous substance. The closer it got, the lighter she felt. It was a confusing sensation, to say the least, until she realized that it meant there were fewer hands tugging at her. the ones around her throat were going slack as the horrors strangling her started to become fearful, so she at least was able to get more air into her lungs. When they finally released her fully, she crumpled to the ground and coughed.

Charging past her, Tsubasa went ahead and eliminated the rest of the horrors in the alley. There was no time to stop and check on her when the clock was ticking on his armor, after all. Only once the last one had fallen and his armor cast away did Tsubasa move back to kneel next to the coughing priest. Her brush was at least still close by, so he grabbed it and pressed it back into her hand. “Jabi? Are you alright?”

As her coughing fit finally came to an end, Jabi swallowed repeatedly in an attempt to get at least a little moisture back in her throat. Her voice was beyond hoarse, and she knew the bruises would look awful in the morning. Looking up at Tsubasa, she was shocked at the bone deep worry in his eyes. Here she had always thought she would never stand a chance to be anything more than hated by him, and yet he was so worried about her wellbeing. Nodding at the question, she leaned close so that he wouldn’t have to strain to hear her. “How many?”

The rasping of her voice chilled Tsubasa in ways he really wasn’t that comfortable with, but he shoved the feeling aside. “I’ll count. Don’t move, just stay here and relax.” Rising to his feet, he went from end to end as he counted the corpses in the alley. The total was shocking, to say the least. “There were thirty of them. Over half were attacking you. I’m sorry.” He felt a failure even though he knew she could handle herself. It didn’t change the fact that the majority had gone after her instead of coming after him. Looking around at the carnage, Tsubasa focused what little magic he knew and made the whole thing look like a gang fight gone bad before helping Jabi to her feet. “Come on, I think we deserve to call it a night.”

Even though she didn’t really want to be done already, Jabi knew it was for the best. She was in no shape to continue patrolling, and she knew it. She also knew that the way Tsubasa had covered up their involvement was incredibly clever. Leaning against him, she nodded in agreement. “How’re we getting back?” Her voice was a little bit better, but some hot tea and rest would do wonders for it.

“We’re near an entrance to the Senate. We can cut through there, and they can take care of your throat.” Tsubasa kept his eyes peeled for any other horrors as they moved toward the hidden passageway.

“Next time,” she croaked as they stepped out of the street and into a long hallway, “Rei and Leo get the bad neighborhood. You and I can take the shopping and business districts.” On the one hand, Jabi felt like she had let Tsubasa down and thoroughly embarrassed herself by being overcome so easily, but on the other hand the terrain had worked against them both. She hadn’t even been able to try to pull out her flags that she used to fight with because the alley had been so narrow, and she knew the knight supporting her had a similar issue.

Chuckling softly, Tsubasa squeezed Jabi to his side just a little bit tighter as he steered her toward where the healers were. “I agree. Alleys like that one won’t be such an issue for those two. There’s much more space uptown for fighting.” Up ahead he could see a cot all ready for her, so he prepared to leave the priest to the care of the Senate’s healers. “Let them see to your throat.”

Jabi did her best to not look obviously disappointed when Tsubasa pulled away from her. Even through layers of cloth and leather, he’d been warm against her side. The chill of the marble hall seemed all the worse for his sudden absence, but she knew better than to make an issue of it. She was finally making strides on becoming more than just someone he held in contempt for not having the good grace to stay dead, there was no way in hell she would ruin that. “Where are you off to?” As far as she knew, Tsubasa was unharmed, but Jabi had no problem admitting that she could be quite wrong about that.

“I’m going to go talk to Grace about this. The organization, the stealth, it all feels...wrong, somehow. Perhaps she and the council will have some ideas as to why.” There was a frown on Tsubasa’s face when he spoke, a testament to how worried he was over the events of the evening. “I’ll be back shortly, I hope.”

As she moved to lay back on the cot, Jabi wrapped his coat around herself a little tighter. “I’ll be here when you return.”

Back in the city, Rei and Leo weren’t having a lot of luck, either. Fortunately, theirs was poor luck on the opposite end of the spectrum from what Jabi and Tsubasa had dealt with. Perhaps it was the season, but it seemed the streets were busier than usual for a Wednesday night. Realistically, it should have made for prime hunting grounds, but the horrors were being ridiculously quiet. Not to mention hard to sense. Eruba and Silva were both picking up faint traces of the dark energies, but there was nothing concrete to go on. Crossing his arms behind his head, Rei sighed petulantly. “I’m bored. I thought tonight would be more interesting.”

Biting back a laugh at Rei’s whine, Leo just shook his head. “We had no guarantee that it would be, though. Honestly, I think if it wasn’t for the fact that Kouga-san is proposing to Kaoru-san tonight, I don’t think we’d be patrolling at all. For whatever reason, we aren’t hearing about there being a lot of deaths likely to be caused by horrors, so either they just aren’t hunting, or they’re getting even smarter than we anticipated.”

/There’s also the stealth factor. They seem to be blending in better now than ever before./ There was a distinctly annoyed tone in Eruba’s voice as she spoke up from Leo’s left hand.

Rei’s own sense of annoyance at the horrors was growing higher and higher as he and Leo kept walking. It was cold, and maybe he was being wimpy, but all he really wanted to do was go home and curl up with a hot drink on the couch in his room and watch a movie before bed. Preferably with the added company of the knight walking beside him. “How long do you suppose we’ve been out here?”

Suppressing a shiver in response to a particularly cold breeze, Leo looked around. There was a shop with a clock on their sign that he recalled having seen when they started. Looking at the time, he sighed and rolled his neck. “Well, considering we’re back where we started, and have now wasted two hours, I think we can safely call it a night. It’s not like we’re hunting down a specific threat, after all.”

“Two hours? That’s it? It feels like we’ve been out walking way longer than that.” Wrapping his coat around himself just a little tighter, Rei looked up at Leo in surprise. There was no way only two hours had passed, was there? “Well, if we take the semi-scenic route, we can waste another hour, and then no one can accuse us of not trying hard enough because we didn’t take enough time.”

“As long as I can get warmed up when we get home.” Leo saw no problem in staying out with Rei longer, other than the weather.

Rei grinned up at Leo playfully. “You’re welcome to come curl up and watch a movie with me. There’s a stack of them that I’ve never seen before, so I can’t ruin the storylines for you.”

Biting back a laugh, Leo gently bumped Rei’s shoulder with his own. “Will there be hot drinks and snacks to go along with these movies?” Hot cocoa and salty popcorn sounded quite good, even though he knew his parents would be ashamed of his poor eating habits.

“Well, naturally! And if you’re good, I won’t even kick you out after the credits end.” Laughing happily, Rei winked at Leo. They never did more than kiss or curl up together to sleep, but there was something soothing about sleeping with someone you trusted with your life the way they trusted each other. It also helped that they were both intimately familiar with the awful things being a knight did to one’s subconscious. Waking up from a night terror to someone who knew all too well how bad those could be and just how to calm down after the fact generally did more good than harm.

The implication of Rei's words made Leo feel a little warmer as the pair began their trek back to the mansion. The fact that he didn't have any competition for the silver knight's affection always took him by surprise just a little, a fact he blamed the way he was brought up for. All through his childhood, he'd had to compete with Sigma for their father's favor, and then with the sweet girl they'd both cared so much for. Even though he'd never stood a chance with her, he still competed with his brother over her. But Rei was a major fixture in his life, now, and he only had to share the other man's friendship with other people. He had no problem with that. As they turned down a road that was nearly empty, his right hand drifted to brush against the back of Rei's left. "Sounds like a plan to me. Just promise we won't sleep on the couch tonight? I'm too tall to do that often."

Rei grinned and moved his hand just right to take hold of Leo's. He found the way their callouses lined up and rubbed against each other to be fascinating in a strange way, and while part of him wanted to feel rough hands in far more intimate places, he wasn't going to push for it. Honestly, he was quite happy with the way things were between them currently. Nights spent with Leo were like nights spent with a best friend that he could kiss and cuddle up with in the middle of the night when loss and loneliness got to be too much. "I won't make you sleep on the couch tonight, I promise." 

Slipping his fingers between Rei's own, Leo just knew he was grinning like a fool. Not that he really gave a damn, mind you. "Then when we get back, I'll go ahead and get ready for our movie. Do you think Gonza-san will still be up, or should we make our own snacks and drinks?"

"We'll see when we get there. I don't want to wake him up for this if he's already gone to bed." There was a little extra bounce in Rei's step once their fingers were threaded together. "If we're not tired, maybe we can do two movies."

Even though he highly doubted they'd put in a second movie, kissing was much more enjoyable, Leo nodded along anyway. "Maybe."


	28. Chapter 28

On the opposite side of the city from Rei and Leo, Kouga sat and tried to keep calm. Kaoru had stepped out of the private room he'd reserved to "freshen up", leaving him waiting for her return. The box with the ring was sitting in the pocket of his shirt, and he'd felt the weight of it all night long. But he was ready now. When she returned, he would get down on one knee, like in the foreign romance movies she liked so much, and he would ask her to marry him. And if he was very, very lucky, his voice wouldn't crack like it did constantly when he was thirteen.

In the ladies' room, Kaoru leaned over the sink and touched up her makeup. Her mascara was waterproof, but her lipstick wasn't, and it had been wearing off all night. Kouga had put so much effort into this date that she didn't feel right looking anything less than her best, so she had excused herself in order to touch up the dark pink hue that she had chosen. Once she was sure she looked as impeccable as possible, she made sure everything was back in her tiny purse. Smiling at her reflection, she turned to go back to the table.

As it turned out, Kaoru still managed to beat their dessert to the table, which actually made Kouga quite happy. He’d pulled her chair out for her like a proper gentleman and waited for the artist to get settled before acting. Taking a deep breath, Kouga went down on one knee and reached for the box in his shirt pocket. Swallowing hard, he swore to himself that his voice would remain steady while he spoke. It had to. “Kaoru, I know I don’t tell you this enough, but you mean the world to me. You balance me and keep me focused, and you give me something to fight for. Wanting to protect the world is a tall order for one person, but fighting to protect you and to see your smile every day is what keeps me going. You’re such an integral part of me that I cannot imagine not having you in my life, and I want your place at my side to be permanent. Mitsuki Kaoru, will you marry me?”

There was no thought needed in response to that. Kaoru knew she couldn’t speak without crying, so she just nodded. When he slid the ring onto her left hand, she didn’t even take a moment to admire it before wrapping her arms around him and holding him tightly. Through her tears of joy, she looked at the ring and was stunned by the design of it. It was gorgeous, something that she would treasure for the rest of her life.

As she cried into his shoulder, Kouga couldn’t help smiling and blinking back a tear or two of his own. He knew that the tears streaming down Kaoru’s face were those of happiness, so he simply reached up to rub her back soothingly. Murmuring soft sounds of comfort, he placed a faint kiss against the side of her neck before pulling back some. Reaching for her napkin, Kouga began dabbing away the tears and makeup from Kaoru’s face as he smiled at her. “Thank you. For saying yes.” Leaning in, he kissed her softly, to keep himself from rambling on. Really, he hadn’t ever truly doubted that she would say yes, but the possibility had existed. The kiss didn’t end until there was a knock at the door, signalling the arrival of dessert. Kouga rose to his feet, properly pushed Kaoru’s chair in, and took his own seat before the waiter made it around the folding screen that hid the door from view.

Kaoru had to admit she was a little embarrassed by how much she had cried, but at least the quality of her makeup had shone through. So little of it had come off onto Kouga’s shoulder and the napkin, which was rather impressive. Then again, she hadn’t worn much to begin with. Reaching for her wine, she took a few small sips to compose herself. As the waiter placed a plate with a small slice of cheesecake in front of her, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the ring on her finger. The center stone looked like it was layered inside, like mirrors stacked on top of each other, while the smaller yellow stones sparkled and glittered down the sides. Once the waiter was gone again, Kaoru looked up and smiled at Kouga. “The ring is gorgeous, Kouga. I love it.”

A weight was lifted from his shoulders at Kaoru’s words. He had been worried that she wouldn’t care for it in some way, but that was thankfully unfounded. “I’m glad. I designed the setting for it.” As far as Kouga was concerned, there was no harm in boasting about that.

“You did? Wow, that’s incredible.” The smile on Kaoru’s face grew by a fraction as she looked back at it again. “So, what are the yellow gems? Not that it matters, I’m just curious.” She adored how the shades of them mirrored on either side of the main stone, like ripples traveling outward.

Chuckling softly, Kouga laid down his fork as he returned her smile with one of his own. “They’re all diamonds. I bought the stones and had Jabi craft the ring. Apparently, it’s tradition for a knight to do this when marrying a priest. Though if Zaruba was a different shape, you wouldn’t have a ring.”

“So...when Jabi and Tsubasa finally put aside their issues and get together, he’ll make a...bracelet for her? That’s what his Madou item is, right?” Kaoru’s brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to recall what she knew of the other knights she was acquainted with.

“That’s right. And I’m not above locking the two of them in a room together to settle their differences if they don’t stop pestering each other. Though, to be fair, Tsubasa didn’t even realize Jabi was trying to flirt with him until I told him.” That fact still amused Kouga. Tsubasa had grown up in a village where there were plenty of other people around of both sexes, but it took the orphan who had grown up training alone in the woods to recognize flirting? With a rueful shake of his head, the golden knight picked his fork back up and ate his dessert.

Kaoru couldn’t help giggling at Kouga’s suggestion of how to deal with their friends. Thankfully, she didn’t see a need to do that with Rei and Leo, since they seemed to have things figured out fairly well for themselves. Tucking into her own plate of cheesecake, the artist couldn’t stop shifting her left ring finger and watching the way the lights glistened and glimmered on the stones in her ring. Artistically, the arrangement was perfect, leaving her to wonder how much of an influence she’d had on her fiance’s creative side. Fiance. Even in her head, the word made her giddy.

By the time they went to leave, Kouga was still smiling. He couldn’t recall ever feeling so content and truly happy in his life prior to that evening; it made him want to bask in the sensation of it. When he got back behind the wheel of the sports car, he took Kaoru’s hand and dropped a soft kiss to her knuckles before shifting into gear and driving back home. “I’m glad you like the ring.”

“It’s beautiful. And knowing that you designed it makes it even more special.” Kaoru relaxed in her seat and let her mind wander. The darkness outside the car was soothing, in an odd way, it allowed thoughts that were normally stored deep in her mind to surface. Things like how many kids they should have, should she keep publishing under her maiden name, would it be a western or traditional ceremony, did priests and knights have their own wedding ceremonies, did Kouga want a honeymoon, where would they go for one if they did have a honeymoon?

Glancing over out of the corner of his eye, Kouga couldn’t help feeling immensely pleased as he watched Kaoru play with her ring. It was like the action was already a force of habit for her. He caught the reflection of her eyes in the window purely by chance and gave her the smile that was reserved just for her viewing. “You’re thinking rather loudly over there.”

Turning around to look at Kouga, Kaoru laughed softly. “Am I? I’ll try and turn the volume down then, so you can focus on driving.” Shifting in her seat, Kaoru turned her focus on him directly.

“And now you’re staring. And you don’t have to think more quietly, you know. You could think out loud. I don’t mind.” Since he really wasn’t in a very big hurry to get home, Kouga took his time and took the slower route home. It was more scenic, not that that was easy to tell in the dark. Perhaps he would have to come for a drive this way during the daytime with Kaoru so that she could get a real view.

“How can you blame me for staring when this is the first time I’ve seen you in anything other than your usual uniform or your night clothes?” Kaoru giggled as she flicked an errant curl over her shoulder. “As for thinking out loud…where should I start? What kind of ceremony will we have? Are we going to go on a honeymoon, and if so, where? Should I keep publishing under my current last name, or change that when I legally change it to your name?” She didn’t bring up the subject of children yet, mostly because she wasn’t sure she was ready for any little ones running amok.

Kouga smirked at the road as he downshifted for a sharp turn. “I’ll try to wear more casual clothing, then, so you can see what it looks like on me. A honeymoon sounds nice, but I wouldn’t have the first clue where to go, so I will leave that choice up to you. I believe there is a specific ceremony for a marriage between a knight and a priest, but I’m not sure on the details. I’ll talk to Tsubasa about it, if you want to try talking to Jabi. What name you publish under is up to you, but you’ll have my full support no matter what you decide. Did I cover all of them?”

It took some finagling of the seatbelt, but Kaoru was able to reach and stretch over to kiss Kouga’s cheek. As she settled back in her seat, she couldn’t stop grinning. “No, I think you got everything. But if the honeymoon is up to me...how do you feel about Italy? We can go where I studied, and I can show you around all the places I hung out at.”

Pulling into the garage slowly, Kouga parked the car before leaning over for a proper kiss. “That sounds like a great idea. You’ll have to be my translator, too. I don’t speak a word of Italian.” Getting out of the car, he walked around to open Kaoru’s door and give her a hand getting back out. “I’ll make sure I have a current passport first thing in the morning.”

The hand on Kaoru’s lower back was warm through the material of her dress. It was becoming a completely normal thing for Kouga to do, and she loved it. She loved that he touched her so freely, even if it did double as a protective gesture. And hey, that was sweet in its own way, too. Just because she was learning to be a priest didn’t mean she was at all capable of fighting off a horror, after all. Leaning into his side a bit as they climbed the stairs from the foyer to their room, Kaoru looked up at her fiance through her lashes. “You know, a nice bath sounds like a great way to end the best night I’ve ever had. And the tub is more than big enough for two…”

At any other time, that sort of comment would have flustered Kouga and had him scowling in embarrassment. But with the way the night had gone so far, he simply slid the hand on Kaoru’s back around to cup her hip as they made it to the top of the stairs for the second floor. “I suppose it would be a shame to let you lounge in there alone.” He smirked for a moment before scooping her up princess style and carrying Kaoru the rest of the way up to their room.

Half an hour later, they were both reclined in the tub, with bubbles up higher than the lip of the tub itself. Kaoru’s hair was twisted up out of the way and held in place with a long banana clip. That way, it couldn't dig into his shoulder. There was something about being in the water that kept Kaoru from feeling self conscious about laying in Kouga’s arms totally nude. It wasn’t something they did frequently, but she certainly didn’t feel like she was being deprived. While she was hesitant to break the hazy spell cast by the bath, Kaoru did have something that she wanted to get out on the table. “Nee, Kouga?”

“Yes, Kaoru?” His calloused fingers trailed lazily up Kaoru’ s arm. “What is it?”

“I know we’re going to follow Makai tradition for the wedding ceremony, but is it alright if I have a western styled dress?” It was the only fantasy she’d ever had about getting married in her life. She had never cared about the type of ceremony, or where it would be held, all she wanted was a white dress.

The hand that had been trailing along the creamy skin of Kaoru’s arm moved to cup her cheek and turn her so that Kouga could kiss her softly. “Of course you can. Are you planning to design it yourself?”

Kaoru smiled happily and settled back against him with a sigh of contentment. “Not unless I don’t find one I like off the rack. And since a lot of the bridal shops require an appointment, I won’t start looking until probably next week. That way I can call and make appointments to go and look.”

“Sounds complicated, if you ask me. Though you do seem to know exactly what you’re doing.” Kouga was more than happy to help in any way that he could so that Kaoru could have the dress she wanted. Even if that help just came in the form of paying for it.

“I helped a friend plan her wedding a few years ago, before I met you. I was in charge of making the appointments for the dress shopping trips.” With a soft laugh, Kaoru shifted in Kouga’s arms until she was facing him and grinning playfully. “What about you? Anything special that you want for our wedding?”

Those two words made Kouga ridiculously happy. He shouldn’t want her to repeat them over and over, but he did. Rather than saying so, however, he just grinned and pulled Kaoru flush against himself. “I want a peaceful day with no horror attacks that need my blade. And I want the Senate to not make a big deal of it. Realistically, I’ll only get one of those, and it won’t be the second one.”

Kaoru practically purred at the way she was fitted against Kouga’s hard muscles. “You think the Senate will make a fuss?”

“I know they will. I stopped Messiah, I stopped Sigma, whether I want it or not, I have celebrity status now. And I assure you, I don’t want it.” Being so well known to the Senate and to other knights was more trouble that it was worth, in his opinion.

Reaching up, Kaoru combed her fingers through Kouga’s hair and smiled. “I think we can both tolerate a bit of celebrity status. It’ll only be for a few hours, and then we can run away to Italy and escape your fame.”

Since his fingers were getting rather pruney and the bathwater was growing cold, Kouga very carefully stood up out of the bath. Kaoru thankfully caught on to what he’d been doing and wrapper her legs around him as much as she could, which did help. Crossing the two steps to the shower, he immediately turned the hot water on and adjusted it to a comfortable temperature. “If you want to let the Senate throw us a party, then we can let the Senate throw us a party. But if anyone says a word about you not having been raised as a priest, or that you don’t belong with me, I will hurt them. You’ve been through too much, and far too much of that at my own hand, to ever deserve to be spoken to or about in that way.”

It was odd, and more than a little disorienting, to be lifted up and carried after having been seated in the bath. Kaoru did her best to be easy to carry, though she wasn’t quite sure how to manage such a thing. While the rest of the room was cold after having been in the warm water, Kouga was a good source of heat against her as he got the shower going to wash away the suds that were still clinging to their skin. What she hadn’t expected was for him to press her against the tiled wall beneath the cascade of hot water. Squeaking softly in surprise at how icy the wall felt against her back, Kaoru shook her head at Kouga’s words. “No fighting on the day of our wedding. Unless it’s some tradition or something that we don’t know about yet, I don’t want to see a single blade drawn unless it’s being used to cut food. I want a peaceful day. If people want to be rude, then either they can leave, or we can.”

Once the last dregs of soap had been rinsed away, Kouga gently set Kaoru down on her feet. “Alright. I swear to you, I will not draw my blade on the day of our wedding unless it is truly a matter of life or death. Because there is no way I will ever let any harm come to you when it is in my power to prevent it.”

The conviction in Kouga’s voice and the look in his eyes left Kaoru breathless. They both dried off in a comfortable silence before retiring to bed for the night. As they curled up under the covers, she laid her head on his chest and smiled. “I love you, Kouga.”

“I love you, too, Kaoru.” In the dark of their bedroom, Kouga let himself wear a dopey smile. No one could see it, so no reason to be embarrassed as he grinned into the emptiness. One hand was idly stroking Kaoru’s hair as he drifted off to sleep.


	29. Chapter 29

The happy news was shared first thing the next day, with Leo and Tsubasa being the ones to fawn over the ring the most. To Kouga, that made perfect sense, they were the only ones not involved in the design of the ring in some way. The joyful mood was quickly tempered by the news of what had happened to Jabi while patrolling the night before, though. Looking over in concern, Kouga gave the priest who was like a sister to him a solemn look. “You’re sure you’re ok?”

“Yes, Kouga. I’m fine. Tsubasa and I took a shortcut through the Senate’s building. The healers there took good care of me.” In addition to the healers, Tsubasa had brought her a home remedy that his mother had taught him, but no one needed to know that. As far as she was concerned, that was just between her and the southerner.

“Is it just me, or are there more and more horrors popping up lately? I mean, an ambush of thirty of the things? That’s not normal.” Rei nursed his coffee with a frown as he thought. “Is it possible they’re evolving into teamwork as a defense against us?”

Leo’s hand that had been in his own lap moved to give Rei’s knee a comforting squeeze. “While that might be the case, it’s only going to work in the interim. We’re already proof that knights can work effectively in teams. So if the horrors are learning teamwork to combat our own, they’ll need a lot more than they’ve got now. Which could well be the goal, but it’s so hard to say if it is or not.”

“The most worrying thing is that they’re not hunting. For the numbers we’re seeing, there should be far more deaths and disappearances. So either they’re covering up these deaths, they’re shapeshifting to replace the ones they’ve eaten, or they’re just not eating.” As far as Tsubasa knew, there was no data on what happened to horrors when they didn’t feed. But based on how they acted, he would be shocked if they actually became more civilized as opposed to displaying an increase in violence.

Kaoru chewed her lip for a moment as she listened to everyone else speak. “Would the Senate know why there’s so many more lately?”

Tsubasa shook his head as he fidgeted with his napkin. “No, they have no clue. I asked when the healers were taking care of Jabi last night. Grace-sama says they don’t know anything yet.”

“Really, that just means they don’t officially know anything. I’m sure there’s some low level priest who’s the equivalent of a paper pusher that knows, but they aren’t ranked high enough to be able to get a meeting with the decision makers.” Without even thinking about it, Leo leaned toward Rei a little more.

At the head of the table, Kouga frowned. “All we can do for now is wait for further instructions. In the meantime, we should carry on with our normal duties.”

A playful grin appeared on Jabi’s face at that as she looked across at Kaoru. “So~, shall we get started on wedding plans?”

Despite the serious nature of what had been the topic of discussion, Kaoru couldn’t help smiling brightly back at Jabi. “Yes, absolutely! Though I don’t know what all needs to be planned for a traditional wedding between a knight and a priest.”

“I know! I know!” A peppy voice chimed from the doorway where Rin had appeared. Gonza came staggering along behind her a minute or so later, having been clearly outpaced by the child. Rin dashed down the length of the room to stand on her toes next to Kouga. It took some stretching, but she managed to give him a hug before going to climb up into Tsubasa’s lap. “Nii said Kouga-nii was gonna get married, so I asked what need to be planned. That way, I can be helpful!”

Glaring at the bundle of energy climbing onto him, Tsubasa grunted in discomfort as one of his sister’s elbows connected with his gut in a very unwelcome way. “Rin, what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be back home.”

“But back home is boring! And how else am I supposed to meet the girl Kouga-nii is gonna marry? Or try to get you and Jabi-sensei to get along? Huh?” Tipping her head back, Rin looked up at her big brother like it was the most obvious thing in the world that she should be there.

Looking up at the rest of the table, Tsubasa looked thoroughly done with life. “Anyone want to buy a sister?”

That question made Kouga choke on a drink of tea that had gone mostly cold. “No thank you.”

“Are you sure? I can give you a good deal.” And if Rei and Kaoru didn’t quiet down, Tsubasa knew he was going to start laughing very soon.

Between his fiance and best guy friend giggling themselves witless, and the way Jabi and Leo were fighting off the urge to snicker as well, Kouga was really struggling to keep his poker face. “Mm, I don’t know. She doesn’t seem to listen well.”

“She could help Gonza-san scrub the floors. She’s younger and more agile. Not to mention closer to the ground.” It was a good thing that Rin wasn’t looking at him at the moment, Tsubasa couldn’t keep the grin off his face.

“Nii! You’re so mean! I came all this way, too!” Rin flopped back against Tsubasa and pouted up him.

“And who’s the one that made it sound like you came here for Kouga more than me?” In many ways, Tsubasa wished that Rin was older and closer to his own age. Most days he felt more like a father than an older brother, but he had been raising her since she was very small.

Oh, yeah. Well, he had a point there. Rin knew it wasn’t an argument she could win, so instead she gave Tsubasa her sweetest and most innocent smile. “I love you, Nii~.”

“Uh huh. Well, I’m sure we can find something to keep you out of trouble.” With a roll of his eyes, Tsubasa gave in and let his sister stay perched in his lap.

From her seat between Kouga and Tsubasa, Jabi did her best to not appear too doe-eyed. This was the side of Tsubasa that she’d been falling for since being brought back from the dead. The side of him that smiled and laughed and loved his little sister more than anything, no matter how big of a brat the girl was being. “You know, I think I can put Rin to work pretty easily.”

“Really?” Rin bolted upright and looked at Jabi with stars in her eyes.

Jabi laughed and nodded. “Yep, you can be my assistant teacher.” Since the girl was much more advanced than Kaoru was, Rin could take over if she was needed out on patrol with the guys.

An assistant teacher? And she wasn’t even ten yet! Rin nodded so hard, her hair swung and smacked her in the face. “I’ll do it! Who are we teaching?”

Across the table, Kaoru smiled and raised her hand just a bit. "That would be me." Really, the little girl was so sweet. "I'm Kaoru, it's nice to meet you." It was a little odd to introduce herself by just her first name, but that was the way everyone involved in Makai business that she had ever met did things.

Rin wracked her brain, trying to figure out where she had heard that name before. After what felt like an eternity, it clicked. "Ah!" Scrambling off of her brother's lap, she ran around the table to Kaoru's chair and bowed deeply. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I damaged the painting Kouga-nii got from you, it was an accident! I'm really, really sorry!"

"Shh, it's ok. I fixed the painting a while back, you can't even tell it was scuffed. Besides, Gonza told me you were trying to cheer Kouga up, and I can't be mad at you for that." Kaoru patted Rin’s shoulder gently and guided the girl back to standing. “I’ll do my best to be a good student for you.”

“And on that note, we should probably go get started. There’s a project that I’d like to get you started on as soon as possible, Kaoru.” Jabi grinned as she watched both of her students interact, pleased to see them getting along so well. She hadn’t doubted that they would, Kaoru and Rin were both so friendly that they got on well with just about everyone.

“A project? Am I ready for that?” Kaoru was more than a bit surprised by that, to be honest. She wasn’t at all sure that she knew enough to do much of anything with her magic yet.

As she stood, Jabi smirked playfully. “Ready or not, it needs to be done. Rin and I can help you out if need be, but I want you to do the bulk of the work.”

Rin kept looking back and forth between Jabi and Kaoru with a puzzled expression on her face. What could her favorite teacher possibly want the other woman to do? Suddenly, it dawned on her and her face lit up with a big grin. “Jabi-sensei is right! You need to get it done as soon as you can, Kaoru-nee. Because you’re going to marry Kouga-nii, right?”

“Yes, I am. Though he only just proposed last night.” Just the mention of their engagement was enough to make Kaoru smile brighter than she ever had before.

“Then we’re right on schedule! Jabi-sensei, where are we going to work at?” Bouncing on the balls of her feet, Rin beamed at Kaoru before looking up at Jabi. “We should go start right now!”

With a laugh, Kaoru let herself be hauled up out of her seat. She was laughing as the other two started dragging her out of the dining room, with Jabi leading the way. “Have a good day~!” That shout over her shoulder was the last sign of her for the four men still seated.


	30. Chapter 30

Chuckling softly, Kouga shook his head and polished off the last few bites of his breakfast. “I need to go check in with the Senate, but as far as I know we’re on our own for the day. Patrol if you want, relax if you want. I just ask that no one patrols alone.”

Nodding in understanding, Rei looked over at Leo. “Wanna go check out some of the lower end areas? See if we can’t cull some of the herd?”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. And we can maneuver better there than Jabi-san and Tsubasa-san.”

“Damn right you can. Pole arms and narrow alleys don’t mix well. As for me, I’ll be getting in touch with my village so that they don’t worry about Rin too much. One of these days, I keep thinking she’ll learn her lesson about walking all the way here.” Tsubasa sighed and rolled his eyes as he talked about his sister.

Since they all seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do, the four knights split up and went their separate ways. Leo and Rei finished getting ready for their patrol and left quickly, taking a shortcut to get where they needed to go. As they walked, Rei was rather uncharacteristically quiet. Looking over, Leo tipped his head just a fraction in concern. “Hey, you alright?”

“Hmm?” Rei looked up, a bit surprised. He had been so lost in thought that he had forgotten he wasn’t alone. Smiling apologetically, he nodded and gave the taller man’s hand a quick squeeze. “Yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking about something.”

“Is is something good or something bad?” The touch was reassuring to Leo, but he still wanted to know what was on Rei’s mind.

Coming to a stop, Rei tried to figure out how to say what was on his mind. “Depending on where they do the wedding, and who stands with Kouga, would you mind standing with Kaoru? I know I want to, but it’d be nice to have you there with me. And if she goes for a western dress, like I know she wants, I think it’d be a cool idea for us to wear tuxedos. If you want to stand with us.”

There was a reluctant look in Rei’s eyes that made Leo want to kiss him. Giving into temptation, the taller man pressed their lips together softly for just a moment before pulling back and smiling at the silver knight. “I’d be happy to stand with you and Kaoru-san, as long as she wants me there. And I’ve never worn a tuxedo before, but I do like the idea. Civilian clothing to acknowledge her civilian life before Kouga-san, right?”

“And the fact that she’s still attempting to keep that aspect in a way. I mean, just because she’s training to be a priest doesn’t mean that she’s going to stop drawing or making books.” The kiss from Leo had perked Rei right up. Grinning up at his partner, he turned and started walking again. “I think I might offer to go dress shopping with Kaoru-chan, too. I’m the only one who had a life away from being a priest or a knight other than her, even though mine ended when I was a little older than Rin-chan.”

With how long his stride could be, Leo didn’t have to rush to catch up to Rei at all. “That was when you were adopted, right?” He remembered the other man mentioning that detail the day they’d traded questions.

Rei nodded and looked around cautiously. “Yeah, it was. You sense anything strange here?”

Leo frowned and pulled his brush out to cast a quick spell. “There were a lot of horrors here. But they didn’t do anything other than talk.”

Echoing the taller man’s frown, Rei tensed up and turned to head back the way they’d come. “Let’s go back. There’s something about all of this that isn’t sitting well.”

Nodding in agreement, Leo followed Rei back to the house.

In the room that had been set aside for training, Kaoru was still fawning over her ring. She’d praised Jabi endlessly for the craftsmanship of it, too. For her own part, the most experienced priest in the room preened ever so slightly before getting them back on task. “Ok, Kaoru. In our culture, after a knight has given the priest he wants to marry an item to match his own Madogu, the priest then crafts an amulet to give to the knight. You can make it look like anything you want it to, and it can be something he’ll wear on his armor or on his normal clothing. The amulet will be imbued with your own power in the form of a protection spell. The deeper the bond between you and Kouga, the stronger the spell will be.”

“In other words, because you love him so much, Kouga-nii is gonna be practically invincible!” Rin bounced in her seat and grinned at Kaoru. As handsome as Kouga was, she knew better than to think he would wait for her to grow up enough to marry him, though that didn’t stop her from wishing for that outcome.

Kaoru laughed and nodded. “Hopefully he will be! I don’t want to think about him not coming back home, even though I know it’s very possible.” Drumming her fingertips on her knee, she tried to think of what would be a good amulet. The first book she’d done under her own name had had a prominent theme of feathers, and she’d even made that paper wing. “Does the amulet need to be made of a particular material?”

Jabi thought on that a moment before shaking her head. “No, it can be anything. The material is up to you.”

“Ok, then I need to go to a craft store and see their jewelry section to make it. I want to make something to mirror the charm he was given when he was little that he wears on the front of his coat.” With a decisive nod, Kaoru jumped to her feet. “Who wants to come with me?”

“Oh! I will! May I, please?” With her hand high in the air, Rin was on her feet in mere moments. She was all too eager to go explore the city, even if they only went to one place.

Looking between her students, Jabi chuckled softly. “Have fun without me, I think I’m going to stay behind this time.” She could hopefully take the time to go chat with Tsubasa and maybe see how things stood between them without any outside interference.

Kaoru thought about pushing the issue a little, but changed her mind at the last minute. “Alright. We’ll try not to take too long so that hopefully I can get it constructed before lunch.” Much of that would depend on traffic, Kaoru knew.

“Oh, don’t feel like you need to rush too much. We’ve got until your wedding to get it taken care of. And as far as I know, you and Kouga haven’t set a date, let alone a location for that yet.” Amusement shone in Jabi’s eyes as she stood and stretched. “Besides, I’m sure Rin wouldn’t mind getting to explore the city a little.”

Considering how long she’d spent under Jabi’s tutelage, Rin saw through the woman’s bluff. At least a little bit. “Are you and Nii going to be kissing while we’re gone? Because I’m sure Kaoru-nee and I can find a way to be gone for hours if you want.”

As much as she was loathe to admit it, Jabi could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. “No, we are not going to be kissing. I don’t even know if he’ll agree to talk to me. So don’t be getting any ridiculous ideas, ok? Just go do your shopping and don’t feel like you need to rush when you don’t even have a date for the wedding.”

Kaoru laughed and nudged Rin toward the door. “Hai, hai. As soon as I can get my purse, we’ll head out. Good luck with Tsubasa-san.” She really hoped Jabi could get through to the man, they’d be a rather sweet couple.

Jabi followed the other two out the door before tracking down Gonza. She trusted Kaoru to navigate and handle transportation for herself and Rin, so Jabi’s only concern was with where she could find her target. The butler happily informed her that Tsubasa was playing bar chess with Kouga up in the study, so she turned and went back up there. Striding into the room like she belonged there, she perched on the couch next to the white knight and looked at the board with a smirk. “Kouga, you really suck at this.”

“Shut up.” From across the coffee table, Kouga growled as he made his move and lost yet another piece.

Biting back a smirk, Tsubasa advanced again. He’d learned to play this before Rin was born when his parents were still around. Looking to his left, he offered an almost timid smile to Jabi. “Do you play?”

“Oh, yeah. Amon loved bar chess, he started teaching me before I met the snot nosed brat across from you. He was so little and cute back then.” Teasing Kouga was one of Jabi’s favorite pastimes, and she wasn’t afraid to admit it. Especially with the way Tsubasa’s lips twitched up at the corner. 

Rather than acknowledge the obvious taunts, Kouga focused on the board. Thanks to his opponent’s last move, he was one play away from total defeat. If he got this move wrong, the game would be done and over with. After contemplating the board for several long minutes, he attempted a play that he hoped would work.

Tsubasa shook his head. “You really shouldn’t have done that, Kouga. Because now, I can do this.” ‘This’ happened to be a decisive, killing move that ended the game. “Good thing there’s a way to play this without wagering the length of your own life, huh.”

Kouga let out a frustrated sigh as he slumped back in his chair. “Dammit. I really thought that was going to work.”

“Better luck next time, Kouga.” Smirking at his victory, Tsubasa packed up the bar chess set. Turning toward Jabi, he gave her a look of mild confusion. “You haven’t put Rin in charge of teaching Kaoru-san already, have you?”

“No, not at all. She’s just tagging along while Kaoru goes to find what she wants to make her amulet for Kouga. She said something about the jewelry section of a crafts store, not that that means much to me.” Relaxing some, Jabi shrugged and looked at Kouga. “I thought you were going to the Senate.”

Rising from his seat, Kouga looked at the clock on the mantle. “I am now. I decided to call ahead earlier to see if Grace was available, and she wasn’t. But she should be now. I wanted to ask about the protocols for marrying. Like where the wedding should be and who would be appropriate as an officiate. Because I just don’t know these things.”

Tsubasa drummed his fingers on the bar chess case. “You’re welcome to come and have the ceremony in my village. Your mother was from there, after all. And Gajari would likely be willing to officiate it. But I’m sure Grace will appreciate the news all the same. She can start planning the celebration for after the ceremony.”

Kouga groaned as he donned his white coat. “Don’t remind me. Please. The fact that Kaoru is actually willing and wanting to attend anything of the sort is the only reason I will be there.” With one last parting wave, the golden knight strolled out of his study and headed off to the Senate.


	31. Chapter 31

Awkward silence reigned in Kouga’s absence for several minutes while Jabi gathered her courage. Taking a deep breath, she tentatively broke the silence. “You play bar chess very well. Your strategy is a strong one, and difficult for even seasoned players to beat.”

Jolting ever so slightly, he hadn’t been expecting Jabi to speak first, Tsubasa scooted away from her just enough to turn in his seat and face her a bit better. There was a shyly proud look on his face at the compliment, and he did his best to appear far more calm and collected than he felt. “Thank you. Usually, my play style is picked apart to within an inch of its life. I wouldn’t mind playing against you at some point. Worthy adversaries are hard to find. How are you feeling after last night?”

The concern made Jabi smile softly as she twisted to sit sideways. “I’m feeling pretty good. The healers made sure there were no external marks, but my throat was still pretty sore until I drank that remedy you brought me. It really did the trick, and it kept me from having any nightmares, so thank you for it. If there’s anything I can do to repay you…” She trailed off, not seeing a need to finish the sentence.

Tsubasa shook his head firmly. “You don’t need to do anything to repay me. Well, except for dressing warmer next time we patrol together, that is.” The little laugh he got in response brought a smile to his face as they both fell silent again. Biting the inside of his cheek, the white knight forced himself to sit upright and get something off his chest. “Alright, since I’m absolute shit at beating around the bush, I’m going to get straight to the point. Have you...been flirting with me, by chance?” He could feel the heat in his cheeks, but there was no turning back now. He was a man, and he would act like one, dammit.

Jabi’s smile turned sheepish and a bit embarrassed as she looked down at her lap. “I’m not very good at it, am I.” Looking up through her lashes, she waited to see how he would reply.

“I wouldn’t go that far. I’m just not very observant, I apologize.” Tsubasa’s own mouth curled up into a self deprecating smile. “It took Kouga pointing it out to me a while back to see it. And I owe you an apology for always being so distant and so quick to take offense.”

Relaxing her own posture, Jabi brought her head up and gave him a curious look. “How long ago is ‘a while back,’ exactly? Just for reference.”

This time it was Tsubasa’s turn to look away as a light blush painted his cheeks. “The first day you started working on Kaoru-san’s ring. He said something about it before we went to the Senate and then on patrol around the city.”

"Two months ago? Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Jabi was a bit startled to know it had been that long ago. 

"I wanted to try and see if I could figure it out on my own. Turns out, not so much. But it did make me realize how unfair I've been to you. I mean, even after you saved Rin's life and all I did was apologize to you, I've never treated you as you deserved, and I'm sorry. Is it too late for us to try to have a fresh start?" 

The earnest hope in Tsubasa's eyes and voice would have won Jabi over if she had been at all tempted to say no. Instead, she smiled brightly and reached over to tap the bar chess case. "We can start with you unpacking this again and showing me how good you are first hand."

Grinning at the challenge, Tsubasa turned and started to set the board back up. "Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're a girl."

"You better not, if you know what's good for you. I'm not the type to show mercy." There was a playful smirk on Jabi's face as she stood and moved to occupy the chair Kouga had been in when she had arrived. 

Once the game was set up and ready to go, Tsubasa gave a mock-bow across the coffee table. "Ladies first."

"Well aren't you sweet?" Leaning forward, Jabi picked up her first piece and started the game.


	32. Chapter 32

A week later, Kaoru was ready to scream. Sure, she’d finally finished the last of the spellwork for Kouga’s amulet and given it to him. And yes, he had liked it a great deal and wore it proudly on the right side of his coat. But she still hadn’t found a dress that she liked, and some of the boutiques she wanted to look at were booked straight through until summer! Sighing angrily, she hung up the phone with more force than was probably necessary and put her head down on the desk. She was using Kouga’s study, since he wasn’t there at the moment, and the urge to crawl underneath the hulking piece of furniture and scribble like mad was very strong. The only things that stopped her were the fact that she wouldn’t actually fit down there and the dreadful lack of crayons. After all, if one was going to scribble until they felt better, crayons were the go to media for that. Since she couldn’t scribble herself better, Kaoru made herself sit up and act like a responsible adult.

Strolling into the study, Rei frowned softly as he saw Kaoru with her head down on the desk. His frown only deepened when she sat back up and he saw the strained look in her eyes. Hurrying forward, he spun the desk chair a bit and pulled the petite woman up into a big hug. “Still can’t get in at any of those places, huh?”

“No. All of them are booked until months after the wedding. And the date is already set for the end of January. So I need to hurry up and find a dress now, but I can’t get in to look anywhere.” Kaoru sulked as she curled into Rei’s chest. She absolutely adored how close they were, it made her feel like she wasn’t an only child anymore.

“Well, when I was calling around enquiring about tuxedos for Leo and me, I asked the places I talked to if they had any open appointments for wedding dress shopping or if they took walk-ins. All five take walk ins, and I have the addresses with me.” Pulling back a little bit, Rei flashed a slip of paper in front of Kaoru’s face. On it, in his messy, but precise handwriting, there were five different store names and addresses. “Wanna come with me? You can look at dresses, and I can look at tuxedos. Pity that Leo can’t come along today, but the Senate wanted him.”

Grinning at the list, Kaoru nodded eagerly. “All I need to do is get my bag. And don’t you mean it’s a pity you don’t get to check him out while he’s trying on a tux?”

Rei couldn’t resist laughing at that. “Well, that is part of it. I am curious to see how he’ll look in one. Now go get your bag so we can get started!”

Kaoru laughed as Rei ushered her to the door of the study. “Ok, ok, I’m going! I’ll meet you downstairs?”

“You got it! Now make it snappy.” With a smirk and a sassy salute, Rei nudged Kaoru toward the stairs going up to the top floor. Once she was on her way, he headed down to wait in the foyer.

It only took a moment for Kaoru to run up and get her bag. Dashing back down, she was just this side of breathless by the time she reached the foyer. Bracing her hand on the railing, she took deep breaths and arched an eyebrow at Rei. “Fast enough for you?”

With how chilly it was outside, Rei had taken the liberty of getting Kaoru’s coat out for her. He also had gotten Gonza to bring a car around to drive them to at least the first stop. Holding out her coat so she could put the warm garment on, the silver knight grinned happily. “Yep, right on time. Now, Gonza’s got the car warming up, so let’s go.”

Kaoru nodded and buttoned her coat before following Rei outside. She thanked Gonza profusely for driving them even part of the way before climbing out of the car at the first shop. As it turned out, it was a very good thing that Rei had written down a list of places to look at since none of the dresses caught her eye until they were almost ready to give up on the third shop.

It was an off shoulder dress with a straight neckline that caught Kaoru’s eye. There were sheer, bell sleeves that would stop halfway down her forearm, leaving the taper of the cuff to end along her palm. The train was minimal, which would keep other people from stepping on it accidentally, but none of those were what sold her on it. The one detail that made this dress stand out from all the others she had seen was the delicate needlework over the bodice. Done entirely in gold thread, the design had intricate scrollwork and flowers covering the front and back. Really, it was an item too good to be true, especially once she realized it was even in her size. As much as Kaoru wanted to think that fate was smiling on her for once, she still double checked with Rei that the perfect gown had no trace of Inga around it. She wasn’t going to push her luck and expect it to be as good of a find as it was without covering her bases first.

The shop they were in wasn’t terribly busy at the moment, which was a boon for the pair. While one employee helped Kaoru into the dress, Rei gave his measurements to another so that he could hopefully have a tux to try on soon. He hadn’t had a chance to look at the vests yet, but had told the employee helping him to bring a silver one to try on. Apparently, he wore a rather popular size, since the young lady who had gone to look for his tux came back in mere moments to let him into another of the fitting rooms. Since his own formal wear was much easier to get into, he stepped out of his fitting room just in time to see Kaoru moving to stand on the small raised platform in front of the mirrors. With a low whistle, he buttoned his jacket and stepped around so she could see him. “Wow, Kaoru-chan. You look gorgeous.”

She wasn’t usually a vain person, but Kaoru had to agree that Rei was right. The dress fit her like a glove, showing off the subtle curve of her waist while accentuating her hips. She’d worried initially about the straight neckline, but that had been a moot concern. By putting just her collar and shoulders on display, she felt the effect was almost teasing as she looked in the mirror at her reflection. There was just enough skin showing to catch interest without giving away any details, so to speak. The fact that the rest of the dress was a shimmering, pearly white- not counting the needlework, of course- made her feel like a princess. Wiping away a tear, Kaoru gave Rei her brightest smile. “I love it.”

“You should, you look incredible.” Grinning back at the young woman, who was nearly eye level with him thanks to the platform, Rei spoke only the truth. “Kouga’s not going to know what hit him when he sees you in this.”

“You really think so?” Kaoru was trying not to look too terribly eager at that thought, but she couldn’t quite help it. She wanted to see Kouga look at her in awe, wanted to know that he thought she looked every bit as stunning as she felt looking in the mirror. Pulling her eyes away from her own reflection, she looked at Rei properly. He certainly cut a strikingly handsome figure in a tux. Even without being tailored, the the outfit molded to his frame like it was cut with just him in mind. The silver vest under his jacket reminded her of his armor, which was likely the inspiration for the choice. “You look amazing, too. Leo is going to be in shock at how well you clean up.”

Rei’s smile turned a bit bashful as he looked down for a long moment. “You really think so?” Sure, he wanted to knock the socks off the other knight, but did he really look that fantastic? Turning to look in the mirror as well, he had to admit that he did look damn good. The bowtie was a cheater one that just buttoned together behind the bow, but he didn’t think anyone would be able to tell simply by looking. Heck even the way he had Silva’s chain on the outside of the collar didn’t look bad at all. Unbuttoning the jacket, he draped it over his shoulder while turning and looking at his reflection from multiple angles. Catching Kaoru’s gaze in the mirror, Rei smiled teasingly at her. “Do the pants make my butt look big?”

Whether she had wanted to or not, Kaoru absolutely lost it at Rei’s question. She had to crouch down to keep from falling off the square platform she was standing on simply from laughing so hard. The employees assisting them were giggling madly as well; they weren’t used to hearing a man ask that question, after all. Shaking her head, Kaoru managed to reign in her amusement enough to formulate a coherent reply. “No! Not at all~.”

“You promise?” Turning around, Rei tried to bat his eyes at Kaoru, just for added effect. Of course, this effect was rather ruined by the fact that he was trying his damndest not to bust out laughing as well.

“I swear, you look perfect, Rei-kun. Like a true gentleman.” Composing herself fully, Kaoru rose back up to her full height. “All I need now are shoes. And so do you.” Looking down, she saw that Rei was simply wearing socks with his tux, at least for the moment.

"Can't I wear my boots? I'll polish them and everything." Rei pouted at Kaoru as best he could, quivering lip and all. He rather liked his boots, after all. They were comfy and durable, great for running and for fighting. "Pretty please?"

Doing her best not to crack up again, Kaoru gave a sigh of mock suffering. "Only if you go and put them on so I can see how they look." The woman who had helped her into the dress had already stepped away to go hunting for shoes to go with her gown, so the artist daintily lifted her skirt and stepped down from the platform. She walked over to the chair off to the side and sat to wait. "If I let you wear your boots, then Leo can wear his. Otherwise, he will have to buy dress shoes, too."

With a grin, Rei darted into his changing room to pull on his boots. The slacks were just the right size to fit over the shafts, but the hems looked a little odd. The woman who had been helping him earlier mentioned that they could alter the hem and let it down just a tad, which he gladly accepted. "Well? Do they pass your test?" Stepping over in front of Kaoru, he turned so she could see his boots from multiple angles.

Kaoru slid her own feet into the modestly heeled shoes she'd been brought before looking at Rei's feet. She had to admit, the boots did look good. They added that edge of danger that followed Rei like a shadow, which used to terrify her. Rising to her feet, she fussed with her skirt for a moment before squaring her shoulders and smiling warmly. "As long as you polish them well and get the hems on your pants lowered, yes, you can."

"You can count on that!" Rei beamed brightly at Kaoru before taking a good look at how the shoes affected her height. They obviously weren't too tall, the hem wasn't noticably off the floor. There was a gap there, though, enough that she was far less likely to trip, at least. "Perfect heels you have on, Kaoru-chan. Are they comfy?"

"They really are! I have lots of shoes this height, and they're very nice." With a smile, Kaoru spun around in a circle, making the skirt billow out around her. "Should I get a veil?"

Standing behind Kaoru, Rei gave their reflections a considering look. "Hmm, I don't think so. I think if you just get something shiny to wear in your hair, that will be enough." She looked so pretty, he saw no reason to obscure her face. Besides, it didn't sound like Makai ceremonies were anything like western weddings.

Kaoru thought on that for a long moment before smiling with a nod. "Ok. We should probably get dressed and pay for things. And maybe make an appointment for Leo-kun? You can see if you can pick up your slacks then if they're done."

Rei nodded agreement as he stepped back. "A wise idea on all accounts. We can call Gonza to come and pick us up, too. That way, we don't have to try and drag your dress and shoes around town. Then we can go get some lunch or something."

"I like that plan. Ok, I will call him while I get changed." With a smile, Kaoru turned back toward the fitting room all her things were in. The employee from earlier was waiting to help her out of the dress. As soon as the woman left the fitting room, the artist made the phone call to Gonza for him to come pick up the gown.


	33. Chapter 33

Miles away from the shop Kaoru and Rei were in, a horror named Itachon paced down an empty hallway in an abandoned building. He was displeased by the way things were being handled, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't even eat for fear of being caught by one of those damned knights. It was such a pity, too, what with all those tasty Yankee punks roaming the streets. Looking up at the sound of footsteps, Itachon stopped and bowed politely. "Tikis. You're late.”

A laugh like stone and steel grinding against each other preceded Tikis as the horror approached. A long black cowl hid the creature’s faceless head as chains rattled from his arms with every step. “Mind your place, Itachon. You are lucky to have gained so much of our master’s favor so quickly, but I will not tolerate your child’s ego. I have served many to get where I am now.”

Still in his human disguise, Itachon rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, I know. I’m a babe in arms compared to you, you could crush me with your pinky, etcetera, etcetera. That’s not why I’m here. I’ve been sent to get your progress report for esteemed leader.”

“I have replaced the forces you lost by ordering the ambush on the priest and knight a week ago, and then some. They have access to places where gates can be opened without attracting notice, and where the plan can be started.” Lashing out, Tikis wound an iron chain around Itachon’s neck before delivering his report.

Rather than give the old horror what he wanted, Itachon simply cleared his throat and spoke in a voice that was hoarser than it had been. “I shall relay the good tidings back to base. Construction will begin soon. And for the record, had you followed through on our agreement, two of our biggest threats would be handled already. You are the one who failed to send backup, I thought we had an agreement!”

Tikis laughed again and threw the younger horror across the room with a flick of his wrist. “I changed my mind. I serve Lord Abbadon, not a sniveling child eater. I feast on the souls of warriors, and am strengthened by them. You consume idiotic children thinking they’re so wonderful for being rebellious bits of trash.”

“Better than stalking hospitals and nursing homes waiting for the invalids to die. Seriously, old man, how are you even still around? By rights, you should have been caught decades ago.” Picking himself up out of the rubble he had crashed into, Itachon wiped a smear of blood from his lip.

“You should be thankful that I have better things to do that to dismantle you piece by piece.” Turning away from the young horror, Tikis growled and prepared to march away. There was work to be done.

Itachon spat a mouthful of black blood onto the dusty cement floor. “Once the plans are in effect and functioning well, you’re free to try. Just don’t expect pity when you fail and die by my hands.” Pulling out a cigarette, he lit up and took a puff before turning to go back from whence he came. There was news to deliver to his master.

Rather than rise to the taunt, Tikis merely walked away. He had survived for so long because he earned the right to. No insolent child would destroy him now.


	34. Chapter 34

Life for the knights and priests continued on, not a one of them aware of the meeting that had been held between the two horrors. Wedding preparations were in full swing, along with travel plans to get the necessary parties to Tsubasa’s village. Kouga and Kaoru had opted to have their wedding there, since Garai had been quite eager to officiate the ceremony for them. It was also a nice tribute toward the mother Kouga had never gotten to know because of how young he’d been when she passed away. In the weeks and days leading up to the actual ceremony, he couldn’t help being antsy and annoyed that Kaoru wouldn’t let him see her dress; supposedly, doing so would cause bad luck.

When the day finally arrived, Kaoru felt like a wreck. They’d arrived at the village the day before, at which point she and Kouga had been separated. She knew he was fine, their friends and many of the other men in the village were keeping him company, including Wataru. It had been a neat experience to meet someone who had trained her fiance as a child, and she hoped to get more time to talk with him. Jabi and Rin had whisked Kaoru away to train with the other priests in the small village, though it ended up being a lot of gossip about what big cities are like and what it was like to be getting married to the infamous Golden Knight. It had been a real treat for her, and she was so touched at how they had all opened up to her. As one of the young women, a priest still in training to specialize as a healer in hopes of working directly for the senate, finished up styling her hair, Kaoru managed to still her shaking hands just enough to put on an even coat of makeup. With that done, she was finally ready for her dress.

In the main hall of the small village, the only place truly suitable to have a wedding of any size, Garai and Wataru leaned against each other as they struggled not to laugh. Kouga was sulking and pacing as his nerves started getting the best of him, Rei and Leo were still in one of the small side room under the pretense of helping each other get ready, and Tsubasa was watching Kouga with poorly restrained concern for the other man’s well being. Realistically, Wataru knew he had no reason to be laughing at his former student. He’d been much worse right before his own wedding just a few months back. Still, it was entertaining to see the normally sour faced younger man with his proverbial feathers so very ruffled.

Finally, the moment arrived. Rei and Leo had stopped making out long enough to get properly ready, leaving them standing to one side looking flawlessly sophisticated, while Tsubasa stood just behind Kouga. Wataru had gone to keep watch in case any horrors tried to ruin the ceremony, leaving Garai alone at the front of the room. The heavy doors opened to show Jabi striding down the aisle to take her place next to Tsubasa, leaving everyone to stare at the entrance as Kaoru came in. Out of everyone, only Rei had known what the dress looked like, but even he had to say she looked far more radiant walking across the room than she ever had at the shop. Glancing over, he smiled at the awe and adoration written all over Kouga’s face. Her hair was pulled back at the sides, leaving the ends all down to hold the loose curl that had been put in. Kaoru was truly stunning, and he knew everyone agreed.

The moment Kaoru had stepped into the main room of the hall, Kouga couldn’t breathe. His heart was hammering in his chest and he couldn’t draw in any air as he watched her nearly float down the long stretch of rug that served as an aisle. She looked absolutely wonderful, and his nerves all fled at the sight of her. When she reached the front and stopped at his side, he could hardly process anything other than her. At Garai’s instructions, which sounded like they were coming from miles away, Kouga took Kaoru’s hands in his own. He could feel the magic tickling his skin as the spellwork that served as their marriage binding was completed and given a moment to settle, but not once did he take his eyes off of the woman in front of him. She was his wife now, which was a heady feeling to say the least. When Rei teasingly announced he could now kiss his bride, the golden knight didn’t waste a moment. Pulling Kaoru close, Kouga pressed his lips against her own as he tried to pour everything he was feeling into the contact.

The ceremony had passed by in a blur for Kaoru. She’d been much too busy trying not to faint or cry tears of happiness. Thanks to the training she'd been getting, she could feel the binding spell being woven and completed, leaving her basking in the warmth of the old woman's magic. The next thing she knew, Kouga had drawn her up onto the balls of her feet to kiss her with everything he had. On instinct, Kaoru responded by kissing back. Everything she was feeling went into the kiss, leaving her to hope that he could and would understand her heart in that moment. When they finally parted for air, their friends were smiling and clapping for the newlyweds, who both had the good grace to look a little sheepish for sharing such an intense kiss in public. 

"Well, there's half the day done. Shall we head off to party now?" Rei was grinning widely and nearly bouncing in place. He was so happy for his friends that he almost couldn't contain himself. Having always been a more tactile person, he had to fight the urge to just hug them both tightly and speak his congratulations softly for their ears only. It was the first time in his life that he had ever been witness to a Makai wedding, and while it was much shorter and simpler than he had expected, those facts hadn't detracted at all from how emotionally charged and intense it was. He knew it was the excess magic leaking out from the binding spell, but he had to admit he'd gotten a bit choked up. Of course, seeing how Kouga and Kaoru were looking at each other through the entire thing might have had something to do with it. 

Placing a hand on Rei's lower back, Leo smiled happily at his friends. "Kaoru-san, you look lovely. And I think they'll be expecting us at the Senate before too long anyway. I can't say I've ever heard of there being a party there, but it promises to be interesting at the least. But, before we go, Rei and I have a gift for you, Kaoru-san." Reaching into his jacket, the bronze knight pulled out a long and thin box. Handing it over, he bowed to the bride. "Congratulations on your marriage, Kaoru-san. I hope you and Kouga-san have a great many years of happiness ahead of you."

"Thank you, Leo-kun." Sniffling slightly, Kaoru took the box with a small bow of her own. The ribbon holding the box shut fell away with practically no effort on her part, leaving the hinged lid free to be opened. Lifting it up, she gasped softly at the box's contents. Laying pillowed on a bit of silk was brand new brush. Not just any brush, either. The shaft was gold, with thin bands of silver and bronze crisscrossing down its length, while the head was made of the purest white hairs she had ever seen. Clearly, this was a proper spell brush for a priest. Closing the box gently, Kaoru handed it to Kouga and asked him to hold it before turning to wrap her arms around both Rei and Leo as best she could. "It's amazing, thank you so much."

"You're very welcome, Kaoru-chan. Now you have a proper brush of your very own." Rei hugged her back tightly, not wanting to let go. She was his sister, as far as he was concerned, so it was always good to see her so happy.

When the other two knights finally let go of Kaoru, Kouga wrapped his arm around her waist. "We should go before we're more than fashionably late. Grace is expecting us."

Nods of agreement rippled through the group as they headed outside. Wataru was already waiting for them with a shortcut to the Senate open and ready. He escorted the wedding party through to a massive room made of marble that was rather festively decorated. The party attendees were mostly knights from other districts who had survived Sigma's plan only because of the deal Kouga had made with Gajari, as well as priests that had opposed what Leo's late twin had tried to do. Gathering the attention of all those gathered, Wataru presented the newlyweds to all and sundry. The guests greeted them with raucous cheers and applause, which actually quite stunned Kaoru. She bowed demurely as she fought back a blush, and thanked everyone for coming. 

Once the formalities were attended to, Jabi broke away from the wedding party and mingled some with people she knew. She'd thought it had been common knowledge among the group she had trained with back when Amon had helped out with the academy-esque camps, but apparently none of them had known that she was close friends with the man who now wore the Garo armor and had been since they were children. While she didn't brag about it often, the fact that she had been present for the very private wedding had earned her celebrity status. Of course, the fact that she had been personally assigned by the Senate to teach the bride how to be a priest did wonders for Jabi's reputation as well. Many of the questions she got were more about Kaoru or the wedding than they were about anything else. By the time she made it to a small alcove to hide out and catch her breath, she was more than grateful to whoever had spiked the punchbowl. A little booze would help her relax.

Because of where he lived, Tsubasa had never really known many other knights. He had, however, spent some time teaching at one of the training camps that little boys were sent to to learn how to be knights. Apparently, he'd been quite popular with the students, since many knights, and a few priests, kept coming over to thank him for teaching their sons. Answering as politely as he could, he was reminded of why he tended to avoid such large gatherings whenever possible. There were just as many, if not more people there to congratulate Kouga on his wedding than there were in Tsubasa's entire village! Slipping away before more people could come up and talk to him, he ducked into a small alcove, not realizing it was already occupied. 

"Ow, watch where you're - Tsubasa?" Jabi hissed under her breath when she felt someone step on her foot, until she realized who it was. Keeping her voice low, she stepped as close as the small space would allow so that he would be better able to hear her. "What are you doing here?"


	35. Chapter 35

The lack of proximity meant that Tsubasa noticed something he hadn't picked up on earlier, the scent of Jabi's perfume. It was very faint and earthy, and it reminded him of summer days spent exploring the forests around his village with his father years before Rin was born. "I'm hiding, What are you doing here?"

"Hiding and drinking. Someone was thoughtful enough to spike the punch bowl, so I've been nursing a glass. I wanted to make it last so I wouldn't have to go back out there, you know?" The punch didn't have near enough alcohol to give her a buzz, especially considering how slowly she was drinking. "So, why are you hiding? Too many pretty girls throwing themselves at you?"

Biting his tongue before it could get him into trouble, Tsubasa shook his head. He made a daring move and wrapped one arm loosely around Jabi's waist since she was still so near him, and would excuse the move as being more comfortable if she asked him why. "No, more like grateful parents who just can't thank me enough for teaching their sons. And oh, they've heard so much about me from their sons because the boys just adored me. Blah, blah, blah. Their sons didn't adore me. Those boys hated me, and for the most part, the feeling was mutual. I have a hard enough time with Rin, why do I need to be raising someone else's kid even for a short period of time?"

The arm around her waist startled Jabi for a moment, she really hadn't been expecting that. She thought about insisting or forcing Tsubasa to let go of her, but decided not to. Honestly, his arm felt pretty good where it was, and there was no reason why she should mess with a good thing. "Wow, that does sound pretty shitty. I don't blame you a bit for wanting to hide."

When he wasn't slapped or shoved out of their hiding place for having his arm around her waist, Tsubasa allowed himself a moment of gleeful cheering inside his own head. Despite how antagonistic their relationship had been for most of the time they'd known each other, he'd always thought that Jabi was gorgeous and beyond amazing in so many ways. Being so close to her at the moment was something of a treat for him, and he wasn't about to waste it. "I'm honestly amazed I was able to get away from the crowd at all. So, why are you hiding?"

"Aside from the fact that it's apparently breaking news that Kouga and I have known each other since we were children? The fact that everyone seems to know I was assigned by the Senate to be Kaoru's teacher has everyone thinking I know all the best gossip. And they were all asking me about any possible dirty little secret I might have heard, like I would really spill about my friends' private lives like that. And don't even get me started on the number of single priests who wanted to know if Kouga married Kaoru because there's an illegitimate child involved. And not all of them were women. Though, honestly, if he was into guys, he'd either be hitting on you, or there would be a really hot threesome going on with Leo and Rei." Had there been more space, Jabi would have been gesturing wildly as she spoke. Instead, she magicked her empty glass onto the table holding the punch bowl and rested her hands on Tsubasa's chest. Through his clothing, she could feel hard muscles, which only made her want to keep touching him.

Tsubasa snorted softly in amusement, it was always impressive how stupid people could be. "If he had tried to hit on me, he would have been very out of luck. I've never been interested in other men. It's rather sad that so many people can't find it in themselves to just be happy for Kouga, especially with how many of them seem interested in his personal affairs." Though, on the subject of personal affairs, being in such tight quarters with someone who he found incredibly attractive was going to create problems for him very soon.

Realistically, Jabi wasn’t in much better shape than Tsubasa was when it came to personal control. At the volume they were speaking, his voice was just the right shade of rough to send shivers down her spine, and if she didn’t know any better she would swear he was wearing either cologne or aftershave. Never having been one to miss out on a chance for something just by being afraid, she looked down at her hands for a moment to focus. “Tsubasa, I’m about to do something that is going to change things between us one way or another. Please don’t hate me for it.”

Before he ever had a chance to respond, Tsubasa felt the hands on his chest grip his jacket as a pair of moist lips met his own. Oh, that was...well, he’d have to classify it later. His free hand moved automatically to the back of Jabi’s neck as the arm around her waist tightened to press them flush against each other. She was a mind blowing kisser, but he was determined to give as good as he got. When they finally had to break apart for more air, they only stayed that way for a moment before he initiated the next passionate clash of lips and tongues.

Moaning softly into the second kiss, Jabi let her hands trail up from Tsubasa's jacket to card through his short hair. The strands slipped through her fingers with delightful ease as she shuffled just enough to be leaning against the wall. She needed the extra support, especially when his tongue slid against her own.

While Tsubasa and Jabi made out in a hidden alcove, Rei was having far more fun teasing Leo out in the open. He was having a great time mingling and flirting with different priests, not to mention the younger knights who had already taken over for their fathers. But it didn't matter where in the large room he went, he could feel Leo's eyes following his every move. It was thrilling in a way to be watched like that, to have someone who cared for him and wanted him enough to track him through the mass of people. Moving back through the crowd, he made his way to Leo's side and smiled up at the taller man. "This is quite the party. And everyone's so friendly."

Leo tightened his grip on the wineglass he was holding in response. "Mm, yes. They are being quite friendly with you." No longer able to resist the urge to touch, Leo placed a hand on Rei's lower back. Leaning in, he gave the shorter man a smoldering look before pitching his voice low. "Do you have any idea how good you look in a tuxedo? There is a very strong likelihood that I could strip down to my shorts and no one would pay me anymore attention than they are now because they'd be too focused on you."

"I seriously doubt that, Leo. I've seen just as many people giving you lusty looks as I've caught giving me the same looks, you know. You look hotter than anyone here in your tux, to the point that I'm regretting the fact it's a rental. Though, if you want to test your theory and strip, I wouldn't complain." It was taking far more focus than Rei would willingly admit to using just to avoid being hypnotized by the look in Leo's eyes. The other knight had such rich brown eyes that just sucked him in every time he looked. 

Shaking his head, Leo sighed softly. "You're wrong. I'm getting plenty of nasty looks, but I don't think anyone would look at me like they want me." Too many people still blamed him for what Sigma had done, simply because he had known his brother best. "I'm not saying that I'm going to let it get to me, but that doesn't mean it's not happening."

Rei frowned and looked more closely at the crowd gathered. One particular priest, an older woman who had probably lost her knight of a husband to Sigma's work shot Leo a look that would would have sent some horrors running for the hills. Glaring back, Rei made an obscene gesture before steering Leo toward the exit. "Come on, Kouga's looking pretty partied out, so I don't think anyone will blame us if we take off. He and Kaoru-chan probably won't hang out much longer either. So we can go home and change out of these outfits and be bums for the rest of the night. Grace-san told me that with all the other knights and priests readily available, we could take a night off just like the newlyweds."

Though part of him wanted to protest, for propriety's sake, Leo didn't argue at all. Going home did actually sound perfect, especially when it meant having a quiet night in with Rei. "No movie tonight, though. I think I'd rather just...not have that going. And that'll give you a chance to work on that book you think I don't know you're trying to read."

Pushing open the door, Rei grinned and flushed faintly. "Guess I can't get anything past you, can I. But yeah, that sounds like a nice way to relax." It was lucky that they could enter the Senate from Tsubasa's village and yet still leave close to home and cut down on travel time. Pocket dimensions were such wonderful things. 

The party was winding down by the time Kouga was able to steal Kaoru away for longer than the span of a dance or two. She had been the belle of the ball, and handled it like a true lady, smiling politely and moving from person to person and group to group. In fact, had she not been introduced to so many priests and knights as his own wife, Kouga was sure Kaoru would have received well over a dozen proposals before the night was even half through. With his hand on the small of her back, the golden knight led his new bride away from the Hall where the party was being held with a smile. "You seem to have made many new friends, Kaoru."

Kouga's hand was warm through her dress, a reassurance that this was all real, not just a product of her imagination. Leaning into her husband's side, Kaoru smiled happily. The party had been winding down already, and she was certain no one would begrudge them leaving before the festivities had fully finished. "I think I did. Everyone was so kind, though I did notice quite a few giving me envious looks during the party. Apparently, now that you're spoken for, people are realizing what a catch you are." Which was something she had always known.

A low chuckle resonated from Kouga's chest as he removed his coat and draped it over Kaoru's shoulders. "You weren't the only one getting jealous looks, you know. There were plenty of men that looked at you like they wished they had been the one to save you instead of me." Because the estate was warded, Grace hadn't been able to arrange an exit from the senate directly to their home, so Kouga and his bride had a little time to walk together. 

"Well, that's just their loss. Today really has been the happiest day of my life." Kaoru pulled the white coat around herself a little tighter and leaned into Kouga's side. The forest surrounding the mansion was quiet and still with the hush of winter, but she found she didn't mind. In the morning, Gonza would take them to the airport and they would travel halfway around the world to Italy. 

When they reached the house, Gonza was waiting with the door open wide. The old man's eyes were a little teary and there was a great big smile on his face as he stood there to welcome the newlyweds. Kouga smiled back at the man who had raised him before scooping Kaoru up into his arms. Her shriek of surprise made the golden knight laugh as he carried her inside and up to the top floor. "We should get some sleep so we can get any last minute packing done in the morning without feeling rushed." Truthfully, Kouga was excited and a bit scared about going overseas. It was something he'd never done before for any reason.

Kaoru nodded from her place in Kouga's arms. "I agree. But you'll have to help me with my dress, the back is all buttons and I can't reach them all." A faint blush tinted her cheeks as she buried her face in his chest again. Neither of them were completely innocent, especially not since Kouga had come back from the Promised Land, but something about having her new husband help her out of her wedding gown excited Kaoru. Perhaps it was because something like that only ever happened once, if you did it right.

Kouga nodded mutely, grateful that Kaoru was in his arms and unable to see just how much he enjoyed the thought of helping her out of the ivory and gold dress. It was a beautiful gown, and something he could picture Kaoru passing down to a daughter, if they had one. But that was something to worry about later. It was a bit of a challenge to get their bedroom door open, but he managed it without having to put Kaoru down. Once inside, Kouga kicked the door shut with his heel before setting his bride on her feet. "Welcome home, Saejima Kaoru~."

The grin on Kaoru's face was nearly blinding, but she didn't care. Turning around to face her husband, she stood on her toes and kissed him. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of how that sounds."

Pulling her close, Kouga dipped his wife and smiled happily. "Good."


	36. Chapter 36

A week later, while the happy couple were still on their Italian getaway, Tsubasa sought Rei out in a mild panic. The silver knight did his best to keep his visible amusement to a minimum, but he was man enough to admit that he struggled with it. "What's up, Tsubasa? You look like Rin-chan's decided she's old enough to start dating all of a sudden."

Tsubasa let out a wry laugh and he tried not to pace. "Heh, no. That, I could handle. I need your help, Rei. I...I want to take Jabi out on a proper date, but I have no idea what that would entail. You and Kaoru-san are the only ones with any semblance of a mundane upbringing, and I'm not about to calculate the time difference and risk calling her while she and Kouga are working toward an heir to the Saejima line."

Rei snorted at the idea of such an intimate moment being interrupted and how Kouga would react before sobering for a moment. "Ok, here's the thing. What Jabi-chan considers a proper date is not what Kaoru-chan would tell you is a proper date. Kaoru-chan would tell you dinner and a movie are perfect. Jabi would rather have a good sparring match and a filling meal after the fact. Or a good patrol followed by some cuddling in front of a movie on tv. I have a huge collection of movies you can pick from, and I can even tell you the ones I know she's seen. They're my not so secret addiction."

"You mean aside from satisfying your oral fixation?" Tsubasa smirked teasingly before really considering Rei's words. "The Senate only wants one pair patrolling at a time, and there is all that space in the basement."

"Leo and I are on for tomorrow night, so you could do it then. And I bet Gonza-san would be more than happy to leave some snacks out for you two to enjoy." Rei grinned, pleased with his own suggestion. It was something he'd learned the hard way about dating the priest back when they had tried a relationship and his usual ideas didn't pan out.

Nodding in agreement, Tsubasa bowed to Rei. "Thank you for your help, and I would appreciate some recommendations for movies. I've only ever seen a handful in my life, so I wouldn't have the first clue what's best for a date."

Waving off the other knight's thanks, Rei smirked ever so slightly. "Do you want a movie that you'll both want to pay attention to, or something on in the background so you can make out with her?"

Hmm, that was a hard question to answer. Tsubasa tapped his foot for a moment as he contemplated that. "Perhaps one of each?"

Nodding, Rei rose from the chair he'd been sprawled in. "In that case, follow me." He exited the study with purposeful strides before pushing open the door to his room. He headed straight for the large bookcase in the corner that was packed half-full with dvds. He browsed the titles for a long moment before pulling two out at random. "Here, take these two. And if you can't figure out the tv and the DVD player in the den that Kouga totally denies ever spending any time in, Jabi knows how to make it work."

Tsubasa looked at the cases in his hands and smiled. "Thanks, Rei. I owe you one."

"Just don't break her heart. I'd find a way to revive you after Kouga killed you and then do it all over again myself." There was a sharp edge to the casual tone of Rei's voice, letting the southern knight know just how serious he was.

Tsubasa nodded firmly, understanding the sentiment perfectly. "I don't want to make promises that I might not be able to keep, but I do swear to do my damnedest to never hurt her. Intentionally or otherwise." 

Rei smiled warmly and flopped onto the old couch he kept by his own television. "Then we shouldn't ever have a problem."

The next night saw Rei and Leo heading out for patrol while Jabi and Tsubasa headed down to the basement. There was a bounce in Rei's step that made Leo chuckle softly. The silver knight was like a little boy who knew that he was about to get something he really wanted, and it was absolutely adorable. Since the horror activity was becoming more and more concentrated in the industrial district, there was no real reason for them to split up. Leo was pleased by that, he felt better knowing where Rei was in a fight. There was just something about knowing his lover was close by so they could watch each other's backs. Nudging the other knight with his elbow, Leo smiled warmly. "You're in a rather good mood. Not to mention the fact that you're smiling like a cat who knows it's getting a big bowl of cream. Care to share?"

Rei laughed and looped an arm around Leo's shoulders, pulling the taller man down to his level. "Tsubasa is giving Jabi a proper date tonight. He came and asked me for advice yesterday about it." They were getting into a more dangerous area, so he dropped the carefree act and put himself on high alert. After all, there was no telling when or from what angle an attack might come. "So they're sparring now, and then they'll watch some movies. Or, you know, make out with a movie on in the background."

Leo nodded, also more on edge than he'd been previously. "Sounds like a nice night in for them. I am glad that they're finally giving things a try, the tension was getting out of hand,"

"It really was..." Any further details that Rei might have wanted to add were cut off as a small cluster of horrors appeared. He let his blade drop down until he could draw them out of his sleeves, leaving him open to hack and slash at the monsters charging them. 

Next to Rei, Leo drew his own sword, holding his brush in his off hand. It was awkward, he was only used to using one or the other, but he'd been training for this moment for several months. The stream of horrors seemed endless, they just never stopped coming at him and Rei. But Leo was focused, and he was determined to wipe out as many as he could. 

In an attempt to reach higher ground, Rei jumped up on top of a shipping container. He had a moment to make sure that there was nothing that could kill him if he had to jump off the opposite side, just in case. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option, he was surrounded on all sides. Looking around, the silver knight spotted a taller stack of containers that he knew he could reach, as long as he could get a little bit of a running start. Backing up to the edge of the container he was standing on, Rei sprinted the length of the metal and launched into a jump a half step before the edge. He had to pull himself up onto the top of the other stack, but he made it.

The new stack of containers was three high, as opposed to the single he had jumped from. It made it harder for the horrors to get to him, but that was a double edged sword of its own. Never before had Rei wished so much that Zero's weapon was a bow, he was in the perfect spot to snipe the creatures swarming around Leo down below. He thought about summoning his armor, at least that way he could launch madou fire at the horrors, but he never got the chance. One particularly intrepid horror, who seemed to be the leader of the assault on the knights, had scaled the small tower to attack Rei from behind. The silver knight was barely able to dodge the attack, what with such little space to roll out of the way. He wasn't even aware that his lover was watching, keeping track of how he was doing. Rei did his best to fend off the stronger horror, but it had the advantage of surprise, and he hadn't managed to reclaim a steady footing. 

It was stupid of him, he knew, but Leo was only half focused on his own fight. It didn't matter to him that he was being swarmed by the bulk of their attackers, he had a spell to immobilize the nasty creatures. Casting exactly that spell over a large group should have affected the one up with Rei, but that Horror was still moving. Leo started cutting down the ones he'd locked into place without really looking, and as the last one went down, he saw something that made his blood run cold. Charging toward the stack of shipping containers, he screamed. "REI!!"


	37. Chapter 37

Having been thrown from the stack, Rei used the moment to summon his armor for protection. Outside his field of focus, he faintly heard Leo screaming for him, but that would have to wait until later. His enemy charged again, thinking the fall had caused far more damage than it really did. But hey, that was fine. He laid still in the dent he and his armor had left in the top and side of the container he’d connected with, letting the horror believe what it wanted. As it leapt down to tear at his armor, the knight lashed out and sent it flying, gravely wounded. He pried himself out of the dent and went on the offensive, hacking and slashing at the horror until it vaporized. Once it was gone, Rei dropped his armor as Leo rounded the corner, looking panicked and terrified. "Are there any more?"

Shaking his head at the question, Leo stopped in front of Rei and stared, looking him over for obvious wounds. His heart was still pounding in his chest out of fear, But that was gradually slowing down. "Are you hurt?" He didn't see a reason to ask about whether or not the horror was dead, Rei wouldn't look so calm if it wasn't. Sheathing his sword, he shifted his brush back to his dominant hand, in case there were healing spells to be done.

"Nah, I'm fine. My armor protected me. What about you, though? Are you ok?" The worry in Rei's voice was not new, at least not to him. He was becoming alarmingly used to worrying about Leo, especially when situations left the other knight in the middle of a mob of horrors.

"I'm ok. Especially knowing that you're not hurt. But we're done for tonight. We're going home. Now." Leo's tone left no room for arguments. Turning on his heel, he began stalking off toward the mansion they both called home. Just because Rei claimed to be fine, didn't mean he really was, but that was why Leo had every intention of personally verifying that. 

The walk back to the mansion was quiet, but not uncomfortable. There was a certain tension in the air, but Rei figured it was just because he and Leo were still on edge after the swarm they’d run into. As they climbed the stairs toward the second floor, he felt the other knight’s hand close around his wrist, pulling slightly, and smiled. Good, now he wouldn’t have to wonder if they were going to spend the rest of the evening together or not. Rei twisted and wriggled his hand and wrist until he could grasp Leo’s hand properly, threading their fingers together to get the advantage of skin on skin contact.

Because he needed the sense of control, Leo took them both to his room. Part of him thought they ought to just pick one room or the other, rather than scattering their things through two spaces, but that didn’t matter right at the moment. Reaching behind Rei’s neck, he unclasped Sliva’s chain and hung her on a hook next to Eruba’s stand, depositing the ring on said stand a moment later. Jackets and swords went next, with the weapons placed on the rack bolted into the wall and their coats tossed over the chair at his small desk. With fewer layers in the way, not to mention the fact that Rei was no longer armed, Leo forced the slightly smaller man against the wall with a hungry kiss.

As he worked to devour the silver knight, Leo’s hands forced their way into the marginal space between the two men. It was so hard to focus on not making buttons pop off and go flying away, but he managed it. Once the black silk had parted, long fingers trailed over Rei’s chest and stomach, caressing and checking for signs of pain. When the only replies consisted of breathy sounds of need and moans of pleasure against his own lips and tongue, Leo finally let himself relax a little. At least, enough to hike Rei’s legs up and wrap them around his own waist. Reaching for deceptively slim wrists, Leo pinned his lover’s arms up on either side of Rei’s head before grinding against him. The taller man knew he should have cared that they both still had their pants on, that his own shirt was still impeccable, but he didn’t. He felt like a horny teenager again, needing release so much that practicality got told to take a long walk off a short pier.

Pinned against the wall as thoroughly as he was, Rei couldn’t do much more than just feel. Not that he minded, really, especially with the way Leo was moving against him. He wanted to be able to move, to get Leo’s shirt at least open, though really he would have gone for removing their pants first. He hadn’t lost it while clothed in years, and it was kind of a point of personal pride for Rei. But then again, if it meant getting to keep the other man in place and grinding against him, maybe he didn’t care so much. Letting his head fall back against the wall, the silver knight moaned as his lover’s lips traveled down to his neck. “Gods, Leo...feels so good…”

Leo shivered at the sound of Rei's voice, all need and smoky smoothness. He let out a string of soft grunts as he rutted against his lover, seeking friction and pleasure. There was so much he wanted and needed, but the words wouldn't come out at the moment. His brain was so focused on release, so driven toward that peak of pleasure, nothing else mattered. “Rei…” Leo had so much to say to the man wound around him, but it would have to be said later. Not enough brain cells were firing to say that much. But he did manage to say perhaps the most important part, murmured right into the silver knight’s ear. “I love you.”

Rei gasped, blinking back the moisture that suddenly seemed to be pooling along his lower eyelids. He knew he’d heard that correctly, he was absolutely positive about that. Working his jaw, he opened and closed his mouth a few times, but words just weren’t coming. Instead, he squirmed enough in Leo’s hold to kiss the taller man fiercely as he dug the heels of his boots into the man’s ass, pressing them closer together. The increased pressure worked in tandem with the friction of his clothing and the man between his thighs to drive Rei beyond the brink. Arching away from the wall, he let out a sharp cry that was muffled by Leo’s lips as his climax drew him as tight as a bowstring.

Even without seeing Rei, Leo knew what was going on. He knew from the way the other man arched against him, the tension in the bare chest pressing against his that Rei had fallen over the edge of pleasure. Swallowing the moan, Leo grunted and moved a little more frantically. Within moments, he stilled and shuddered against Rei, letting his own pleasure crest and fade. Leaning into his lover, Leo fought to catch his breath as he waited for his legs to unlock and become cooperative again. Pressing his face into the crook of Rei’s neck, he breathed deeply, enjoying the silver knight’s warmth.

Feeling Leo’s hands relax their grip, Rei pulled his wrists free to wrap his arms around the other man’s shoulders. Bringing a hand up to pet the dark hair tucked against his shoulder, he smiled and tipped his head back against the wall. “Ne, Leo?” The noncommittal noise muffled by his throat grew the smile on his face into a huge grin. “I love you, too.”

Leo grinned and pressed a kiss to Rei’s throat before finally letting him down. “I kind of guessed, but hearing you say it is even better.”

“And a shower would be absolutely fantastic.” Draping his arms around the taller man’s neck, Rei smirked. “This sticky feeling isn’t ideal, ya know. Not that I’m complaining, because that was...wow.”

Laughing, Leo put his hands on Rei’s hips and began steering them toward the en suite tucked between his room and Tsubasa’s. “Yeah, I agree. And then I can really make sure you don’t have any injuries from that stunt you pulled. Going to the high ground like that and then dropping your guard and getting thrown like that? I thought my heart was going to stop.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you like that, Leo. I was trying to find a place to jump down to to help you out. But that spell you used to freeze them in place? That was genius.” Turning in Leo’s hold, Rei leaned back as they stumbled and shuffled toward the shower. It was awkward and slow, and they nearly tripped a few times, but they managed it. After they’d both gotten clean, and he’d swiped a spare pair of pants from the taller man, Rei was more than happy to curl up in Leo’s soft bed. The night hadn’t started out so great, but it sure was ending on a high note.


	38. Chapter 38

Another week of patrols and quiet nights of romance passed for the three knights and one priest before Kouga and Kaoru made it back from Italy. Even with as jet lagged as they both looked, Jabi and Rei grinned at how relaxed Kouga looked from the getaway. Those grins became much more genuine when they saw the souvenirs that had been brought back, and even Tsubasa smiled happily as he carefully held the small figurines for himself and Rin. Tales of the trip, unfortunately, had to be put on hold as the group of six were called to the Senate. Kaoru felt rather confused at the fact that she had been included, she barely knew any spells at all. Still, Kouga was the most sour about the summons, grousing under his breath the entire trip there.

As she stood waiting for the knights and priests to arrive, Grace had to fight the urge to wring her hands anxiously. She was a high ranking priest, one of the top members of the Senate, she had no time for nerves! Still, there was no good news that she could offer, and she knew nothing she would say would be well received. When it was announced that the group had arrived, she did her best to appear perfectly composed and calm before they could see her being anything but. “Welcome back, Kouga. And you as well, Saejima Kaoru-san.”

Kouga bowed just enough to appease his own sense of respect for the woman in front of them. “Grace. You seemed to be in a hurry to see all of us, I assume there is a reason?”

Taking a deep breath, the older woman spoke as flatly and objectively as she could. “The Senate is formally declaring the priest Rekka as missing in action, presumed dead. As much as I know you would all relish the chance to search for her, the Senate has passed a motion forbidding it. There are more dire matters at hand. We have news about the recent patterns in horror activity, and that takes precedence. It seems there is an Apostle level horror orchestrating all of what has been occurring. It goes by the name Abaddon. It should go without saying that we need you all to focus your efforts on locating and eliminating Abaddon, while keeping casualties down as much as possible.”

All the bad news made Kaoru feel ill, but she pushed the feeling aside. There wasn’t time for it. “Is there any word on what Abaddon’s end game is? Barago wanted to bring forth Messiah, and Sigma wanted to gain the power of the horror he tried to control, but what about this one?”

“As far as we know, Abaddon’s goal is to make Earth the new home of horrors, and to farm humans that can be tainted with Inga from birth. The older they grow, the more Inga they'll have, and the more filling they will be to the horrors." Even if Grace's voice was all business, her face betrayed how she truly felt. The current state of things did bother her, but she couldn't do anything. All that she could do was give orders to the group she was speaking to, her years at the front lines were long gone.

A collective shudder passed through the four knights and two priests, the thought of farming humans left them all feeling various shades of grossed out. Stepping to the front, Kouga narrowed his eyes as he looked up at Grace. "So we're banned from hunting down Rekka and trying to work more aggressively on finding her because you want us chasing leads on Abaddon, yes? You have to know that we aren't going to give up on her."

Jabi nodded firmly in agreement as she stepped up next to Kouga. "Rekka is our friend, we aren't going to turn our backs on her."

Grace wanted to smile at the young people in front of her. They were still children compared to her, and defiant ones at that. "I know you won't. But as long as you follow orders and search for clues about Abaddon as your priority, no one will be able to argue against your continued search."

At Kouga's other side, Rei uncrossed his arms and hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. "In other words, what you don't know won't hurt us on this, ne?"

"Precisely. I have relayed the orders that were decided upon. Beyond that, your actions are your own, Suzumura Rei." As per usual, the current Zero managed to bring a smile to Grace's face.

"We understand." Kouga nodded, a faint smirk playing over his lips. Turning around, he faced his wife and friends. "Jabi, take Kaoru home and teach her everything you can as quickly as possible. Start with defensive and healing spells before moving on to combat spells." Jabi gave a single nod of acknowledgment, understanding that time was likely of the essence. "Leo, you and Tsubasa will take the downtown patrol. Rei, you and I will handle the industrial areas. If you get a horror alone, try to interrogate it. If you need backup, call for it." Reaching into the pocket of his coat, Kouga pulled out the small communicator they had all been using with great frequency and put it on.

Leo didn't quite understand why things were being as mixed up as they were, but he didn't argue with Kouga. Garo was the highest ranked of the armors, if one cared about such things, and Kouga himself was looked upon as something of a general even by knights far older than him. "Understood, Kouga-san. But I am going to borrow Rei for a moment." Leo reached out and grabbed at his lover's sleeve before dragging Rei out into the hall. Once they were alone, the bronze knight pulled the shorter man in for a fierce kiss. "You be careful out there."

Rei nodded, still feeling a bit dumbfounded from the kiss. Pushing back his stupor, he reached up and cupped Leo's cheek in his right hand. "I will be. And you be careful, too, ok?" Even though they both knew that it was just a routine patrol, Rei was well aware that he and Leo could die at any time. All it would take would be for one horror to get lucky, and either one of them would end up dead. 

Inside the Senatorial chamber, Jabi was far less reserved than Leo. Rather than leaving the room, she walked right up to Tsubasa and pulled him into a heated kiss. Of course, he was growing used to her doing such things, so he didn't hesitate to turn the tables, not that she was complaining. When they parted, she gave him a serious look. "If you let some punk horror get the best of you, I will revive you and kill you myself. Is that clear?"

As much as he hated the idea of anyone coming back from the dead, it had been at the heart of his initial negativity toward Jabi, Tsubasa chuckled softly. "Very clear. Leo is talented with his blade, and we both have magic to fall back on in a pinch. It'll be fine."

"Yeah, it damn well better be." Jabi hated how powerless she felt, knowing that she wasn't going to be the one watching Tsubasa's back. It was all still very new to her, worrying about someone else so much. She was amazed that Kaoru could do it so easily.

Speaking of the artist, she and Kouga stood off to the side and tried not to stare in shock at how well Jabi and Tsubasa were getting along. Resolving to quiz the other woman during a break between lessons, Kaoru turned to look up at her husband. "You promise not to fight with Rei-kun, right?"

"Right. I'll save that for any horrors we come across. We'll do our best to wrap this up quickly and put Abaddon behind us." Kouga smiled softly and pulled Kaoru into his arms. It was remarkable how just holding his wife calmed and centered him, but he wasn't complaining. 

Kaoru let herself enjoy the hug for a long moment before pulling back. As much as she wanted to keep her husband at her side, she knew that he was needed elsewhere. "Alright, go on, now. I don't want to delay you anymore than I already have. Be careful and come home soon, ok?"

"Of course. I haven't had nearly enough time with you at my side to consider dying so soon." Kouga pressed a kiss to Kaoru's forehead before stepping back to bow to her. It was his way of showing her the respect due to her as his wife, not to mention the respect she deserved for the status she had gained from marrying him. Standing back up, he squared his shoulders and turned to leave. 

Once they got to the hallway, Tsubasa rolled his eyes. He had waited for Kouga before leaving the room in the hopes that Rei and Leo would have been able to compose themselves, only to have that hope cruelly dashed. Looking away from the obviously heated make out that was happening, the southern knight did his best not to blush as he cleared his throat. "Ahem... If you two are ready to go, so are we."

Leo jumped back like he'd been burned, blushing clear to the tips of his ears. He kept his back to Kouga and Tsubasa enough to adjust himself as subtly as he could before turning around and bowing. "I'm sorry! I got...a little carried away, I suppose."

Rei was far less subtle about getting himself in order, reaching to adjust himself within the confines of his tight pants without caring who was watching. He wasn't the least bit repentant about what they'd been caught doing, mostly because he didn't see a reason to be. "Yeah, we should head out and cover as much ground as we can."

Kouga reached into his pocket and pulled out the communicators. "Keep in contact as much as possible and don't split up unless you absolutely have to." He knew it would mean being less effective, but it was safer. And since they all had someone to return to, he was all for playing it safe.


	39. Chapter 39

The other three knights nodded in agreement as they walked out onto the street. Leo and Tsubasa took a right, heading into the busier area of the city, leaving Kouga and Rei to head straight and aim for the warehouses and factories. As they went, Leo tried to keep cool and calm to avoid tipping any of the civilians mulling about off in regard to what they were up to. One never wanted panicked masses obscuring a potential conflict. He twirled his spell brush in his left hand, a nervous tic he'd developed of late. It had taken quite a bit of time to get used to casting spells with his left hand, but he'd worked hard, and it was a skill he was proud of. 

The one thing Tsubasa hated about patrolling in the city was the sheer number of people. Sure, he knew it was a prime hunting ground, but he was far from inconspicuous, and didn't have enough knowledge to disguise himself for long periods of time. Not to mention the fact that the energy such a spell would require would impact his ability to fight a long battle. "Do they really think we're going to just stumble onto this Abaddon on accident? I would think the Senate would be able to pin down the location better." Yes, he was grumpy, but who could really blame him? The whole situation just sucked all around.

"I'm not sure. Stranger things have happened, though, so I suppose it's possible that we will. And they couldn't track Sigma, so there's no guarantee that the tracking spells for something like that would work. We still don't know everything there is to know about horrors, so there's always a chance that there's one out there that can shield against our tracking spells." Leo shrugged as he replied, doing his best to keep his senses on high alert.

The duo turned down a less crowded road as they continued. Something in the air put them on edge as they walked, though neither man could quite put his finger on it. It was like there was something just out of sight, lurking in the corner of his field of view, and it frustrated Tsubasa to no end. He knew that if he turned to look fully in that direction, the thing would be gone, it had happened oh so many times before. He did his best to ignore the feeling for as long as he could, which was not a wise plan in hindsight. It was only his quick reflexes, honed over the course of his life, that saved the southerner from having half his face torn off by the clawed hand that shot out at him. "Shit!" He dodged so fast he had to drop into a roll to keep from stumbling, coming back to his feet in a defensive position near Leo. They were back to back, which was good in a way. Tsubasa knew it was a safe place to be, but it also restricted his available actions.

They were surrounded. Leo frowned and drew his blade, ready to try and take out who and what he could. He tried the mass immobilization spell to give them some sort of upper hand, only to have it fail on him. The horrors were too strong for such a low level skill, which never boded well. He quickly scanned the surrounding area to try and find any kind of higher ground, but there wasn't much to be had. Just a small hospice center, nothing else. He really didn't want to have to use that place, but he knew there might not be any other option. Tightening his grip on his sword, Leo lashed out, trying to cull the herd of horrors just enough to get away. It didn't work quite as well as he'd hoped.

Growling, Tsubasa lashed out as well. He swung his staff, but the horrors were smarter than he had expected. They just kept jumping back before trying to rush in and get too close for him to strike. Every time they advanced, he and Leo had to retreat. There was no other option, really. It wasn’t until about the fourth or fifth time this had happened that he realized something that made the pit of his stomach feel like cold lead. “They’re herding us…” The words were a mumble, more of a thought out loud than anything, but it was one of the most frightening things that had ever crossed his mind. “Leo, we need to get out! They’re herding us!”

Leo’s eyes widened and he let out a long string of swear words in the horrors’ own language. He did a lightning fast check of their surroundings and swore more. “It’s a hospice. And not abandoned. That’s where they’re pushing us!” Before he could say more or make a greater effort to get away, iron chains with links as thick as his forearms wound around both knights and jerked them off their feet. A sound like stone scraping over steel made his blood run cold as Leo felt himself lifted off his feet and into the air.

Tikis was quite proud of himself, he had to admit. They may not have been the best of the best, but he’d captured two of the knights that had been such thorn’s in his master’s side for so many months. His chains made it easy to drag the two men along behind him as he stepped through the inga gate that would take him to Abaddon. The high level horror would surely be pleased at his tribute, perhaps he could have their heads as trophies. “You lose, knights. But I do thank you for waiting until I was finished with my meal. So many tasty souls in that place.”

Tsubasa struggled, desperate to break free. He couldn’t even move his head enough to bump his comm against his shoulder to connect the damn thing! Growling in frustration, he glared at the back of the horror who was dragging him along the ground, throwing up sparks as the chains scraped over the ground. “You bastard! Where are you taking us?” He didn’t need to ask what the horror had meant about a meal, and it was pretty genius if one thought about it abstractly. The people in that hospice would have been old and at the ends of their lives. It was one of the best places for a horror to feast at, no one would suspect them of being behind the deaths of any of the residents.

“I’m taking you to Lord Abaddon. He will be pleased to see you, and if you are truly lucky, he will kill you quickly.” There was a smirk on Tikis’ face, or as much of a smirk as one could have with a face that faintly resembled a car that had lost a fight with a compactor. The trip through the inga gate was short, which was to be expected. After all, if it didn’t take much to travel between worlds via the gates, there was no reason it had to take long to travel around the human world the same way. Granted, that had been Lord Abaddon’s doing, coming up with a spell that made the gates work that way.

Leo looked over at Tsubasa with wide eyes. They were seriously being hand delivered to the very hollow they had been sent to track down?! Sure, the circumstances were less than ideal, they were captives, after all. Still, he wasn’t about to look that particular gift horse in the mouth. He still had both his sword and his brush in his hands, and if he could just flex his wrist enough to cast the spell, he knew he’d be able to break the heavy chains.

While Leo and Tsubasa were busy being ambushed, Kouga and Rei had unintentionally wandered into a gang fight. Between two rival groups of teenagers. Rei rolled his eyes and resisted showing the fools what a real blade looked like. “Good god, you are all just pitiful, you know that? Wasting your youth having ‘knife’ fights on the docks? What is this, some bad movie or something?” He pointed to a boy with bleached out hair that looked to have gotten into a heated argument with a tackle box. And judging by how much metal was in the kid’s face, the tackle box won. “Who even uses stiletto blades anymore, anyway? At least have some pride as a Japanese and use a damn tanto!” He knew Kouga was rolling his eyes, but Rei didn’t care.

From a narrow path between two warehouses, a sound like nails on a chalkboard rang out. Itachon strutted out to stare Rei down, cackling madly all the way. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t my lucky day~. A smorgasbord and a pair of pain in the ass knights! I must have won a lottery!” The horror wore its human disguise, looking perfectly in place with all the other teens gathered around. He gave Rei a feral grin and a mocking bow, seeming completely unphased by the presence of two of his mortal enemies. “Thanks for the meal~.” Without further ado, Itachon threw his arms out, sending out a slew of vine-like appendages in the process. Each vine wrapped around the neck of a teen, catching sharp thorns on the soft skin and digging in. From there, it was a macabre show as the two knights watched the teens start shriveling up like all the moisture was being pulled from them. The dried out husks gave up, disintegrating one at a time as weapons and clothing fell to the ground unceremoniously.

Rei wrinkled his nose and gave a faint shudder of revulsion as the vines retracted back into the horror. “That was disgusting.”

Itachon licked his lips and chuckled darkly. “You said ‘delicious’ wrong.” Raking a hand through his human hair, the horror smirked as he watched the knight in front let a blade fall into each hand. “Two swords...you must be Zero. Which makes the grumpy one behind you...Garo? Oho~, this is a treat. Lord Abaddon will be quite pleased with me when I bring you two home with me.”

Drawing his own blade, Kouga stepped up next to Rei. “That’s right, I am Garo. Don’t think that you’ll be able to capture us easily, horror.”

“Tch, rude, much? Of course I’m not going to capture you, that takes all the fun out of leading you to my master! And I know you’ll follow me. Just like you know you’ll follow me. Because you’re knights,” Itachon slipped into a mocking tone, “and killing us big, bad horrors is what you do. So you’ll just march your happy lil’ asses right on into the biggest trap ever because you know it’s what you have to do. So why don’t we stop wasting our time and get the lead out, hmm?”

Rei tightened his grip on his blades and spoke to Kouga without ever taking his eyes off the horror in front of them. “He can lead the way without a tongue. You hold him down and I’ll cut it out?” Seriously, the damn monster was getting on his nerves!

Kouga huffed and nodded. “Fine. But only because your blades are shorter and will do better detail work.” For as much as the horror was flapping its lips, the actual mouth wasn’t very big.

Itachon threw up his hands, just done with how he was being treated. “Again with the bad manners! You know, it’s no wonder your own have been betraying you for so long. You’re all such assholes, I wouldn’t want anything to do with you either!”

"Just start walking." With his sword still in hand, Kouga advanced upon the horror that was currently being a pain in the ass. He hated that the thing was right and that he and Rei were walking into a trap. It wouldn't be the first time, of course, but that didn't make it any more desirable.

"Alright, alright, I'm going. Sheesh, tough crowd." Itachon held his hands up in mock surrender before turning on his heel and walking off. It wasn't a long distance to go, really, but the walk wasn't exactly a pleasant one. The horror couldn't help wondering when or if the knights would turn on him and decide to kill him, though he knew he could make it difficult for them. Or, at least for one of them. Two on one always got a bit...iffy. And he wasn't good in tight spaces, which would be a serious disadvantage. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he muttered as they turned a corner. "I bet the horrors who worked with Barago and that priest didn't have to put up with this kind of crap." Not that he could think of any that had specifically worked with the knight or priest that had gone rogue from the rest of their overly shiny lot, but that was beside the point.

Rei just frowned at the horror as they walked. He could see a ship that looked abandoned and run aground up ahead, complete with a walkway attached to the side. He couldn't remember it being there the last time he'd been in that particular area of the docks, but he might not have noticed it, if he was being honest with himself. The walkway was a bit on the rickety side, which didn't help his nerves any, but it was fine. He was used to the feeling of unease in the pit of his stomach, he felt it every time he went out to hunt down horrors. Because he knew that only the lucky few died of old age the way his predecessor had. 

At the end of the walkway, Itachon opened the door and gestured for the two knights to go into the ship first. "After you, gentlemen. And remember, keep your hand at the level of your eyes~."

Kouga scoffed at the advice from the horror. "Madame Giry, you're not." Still, he walked past the enemy and took the lead, trusting Rei to have his back.

As Kouga passed him, Rei stared at the other man in confusion before quickly hurrying to catch up. "What did that mean?"

"What did what mean?" Since they were in enemy territory now, Kouga made sure to be on guard at all times.

"That comment you made back there. About that horror not being Madame whoever it was." 

Kouga just shrugged, his eyes still searching the hallway as they advanced deeper into the ship. "It was a reply to the horror's Phantom of the Opera reference."

Rei looked at Kouga like the man had grown a second head. "Wait...you actually got that reference? Because I sure as hell didn't."

"Of course I did. It was the most memorable line in the musical, at least to me." A small smile almost made its way onto Kouga's face, but he stopped it. This was no time to be smiling.

"When did you see it?" While he was loathe to admit it, Rei's head nearly hurt from wrapping his mind around the thought of Kouga catching any sort of pop culture reference that he missed completely. He consoled himself with the explanation that it was a very obscure reference that most people would have missed.

"Gonza took me when I was a child." Kouga answered distractedly before shushing Rei. He could hear something, or some things, being dragged along up ahead of where they were. Turning to his companion, he gave Rei a serious nod before summoning his armor. Once they had both done so, Kouga led a charge down the hall to attack a large horror dragging two bundles wrapped in heavy chains.


	40. Chapter 40

Tikis yelled in outrage, though the sound was closer to a roar. He was supposed to be delivering two of the makai knights to Lord Abaddon, and instead he was under attack from the other two. The ones Itachon was supposed to have dealt with. Once he killed the metal encased vermin, he'd rip the other horror to shreds. Only, it wasn't really going his way. The silver knight had gotten behind him and cut through the chains he'd bound the other two in. Before he could demand to know what the knight's twin swords were made of to cut iron so easily, he let out another roar. The new cry was one of pain, which was understandable. Had he been human, the gold knight's sword would have just sliced open his spine. Instead, the wound was far more shallow, oozing black and tar-like blood. 

Inside his armor, Kouga swore softly. This horror had thick skin, ridiculously thick, actually. His blade should have done far more damage than that. Shifting into a defensive position, he braced himself for the attack he was sure he would get. But the attack never came. Looking up, he saw the reason why. As soon as the horror had turned its back on Rei, the silver knight had attacked. He had managed to get up onto the large creature's shoulders and slam both of his blades straight up under the horror's jaw. The thing was as dead as it could get, so Kouga watched Rei jump off the slowly falling corpse before withdrawing his twin blades with difficulty.

Dropping his armor once he had his swords back, Rei hurried over to the iron bundles and began unwinding them. He freed Tsubasa first, purely by chance, before tugging frantically on the chain encasing Leo. Once the bronze knight had been freed, Rei tugged him to his feet. There would be plenty of time later on to fuss over the tall man, and far better places than the middle of the enemy's stronghold.

While Rei worked on freeing their fellow knights, Kouga stood guard. At some point along the way, he couldn't precisely pinpoint when, the horror that had led him here had vanished. That was disconcerting to say the least, as was the way the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. There was a ladder along one of the walls leading to an open hatch that spilled moonlight into the corridor they had all gathered in, so that seemed like a good place to start. Without turning around, he addressed the other three. "Rei, you go up first. Then Leo and Tsubasa, and I'll bring up the rear. Chances are the horror that led us here went that way."

As he stepped around Kouga to start climbing the ladder, Rei wore a humorless smirk. "There's a dirty joke to be made there, but I'm not in the mood." He hurried up the rungs, pausing only long enough to check that the coast was clear before climbing up onto the deck and drawing his swords again. He kept moving around, trying to reduce his blind spots as he waited for the others to get up there as well. It wasn't until Kouga was hoisting himself out of the hole that Rei spotted anyone but the three knights with him, and he was more than just a little confused by who he saw. Striding casually across the deck was none other than Rekka. At least, it looked like the missing priestess. Considering the situation, he wasn't quite willing to believe only his eyes.

The body of Rekka walked confidently and without any sense of hurry. From within the human shell, Abaddon chuckled softly as the four knights recognized his meat suit. "My generals have done well by bringing you all to me. Saves me the time of hunting you down like the wild dogs you are." Bringing one hand up, the horror shot a blast of energy at the quartet, only to laugh with glee as they all dodged as well as they could. "I think we all know what's going to happen here. You can't hurt me, you know. Not one of you is strong enough to attack this body." Which was precisely why he'd picked it. 

Kouga felt frozen in place, unable to move a single muscle. Standing before him was one of his scarce few friends from his childhood, someone who he might have considered marrying had he never met Kaoru, and she was possessed by a horror. Not just any horror, though, one of the most powerful horrors they'd encountered. His blade was heavy in his hand in a way that it hadn't been in many, many years, his grip was weak as a child's. There was a sick, sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he stared at Abaddon, dread turning his blood to ice in his veins. He swallowed hard and brought his sword up, but his feet wouldn't budge.

Just as Kouga was stuck motionless by the sight before them, the other three were equally affected. Leo in particular felt stricken to his core. He had trained with Rekka years before, when Sigma had gone to train with the other would be knights. It broke his heart to see the spirited girl, so hell bent on becoming as good as any knight, lost to the horror possessing her body. He licked his dry lips and struggled to find his voice, needing to know her fate. "You...there's nothing left, is there? Nothing of Rekka hanging on by a thread?"

Abaddon laughed, a deep and chilling sound. "Of course I killed her. Gobbled her up and made myself right at home. And it's quite a tasty body, you know? Could use a bit more up top, but everything is nice and firm."

As the horror spoke, it molested Rekka's body in ways Rei and Tsubasa never wanted to see. Sure, they hadn't been as close to the priest as the other two knights, but that didn't mean they'd held no respect for her. Without even needing to signal each other, the pair charged as one, weapons drawn and at the ready. They managed to get almost close to their target, only to be thrown back by waves of fire. As Rei and Tsubasa skidded to a halt in front of Kouga and Leo, the entire perimeter of the deck was set ablaze. The flames moved at an alarming rate toward them, forcing the four to don their armors just to be able to breathe.

"We have to find a way out of here before the flames get to us!" Leo could tell that the flames were hotter than normal. If they reached the knights, there would be no escape. The men would be baked inside of their armors. 

Kouga turned toward Leo, knowing that he would be the one to ask. "Can the mounts escape this? The fire will get to them, but once we're clear we can dismiss them and the flames will cease to hurt them, right?" He could think of no other way out, really. And besides, Gouten had been through worse and come out of that just fine.

Within his helmet, Leo frowned. Kouga's logic was sound, but it left him hanging. He hadn't slain enough horrors to earn his mount yet. "It will, but I won't be able to follow you." Which would mean finding another way out.

"Fuck that. You'll ride with me on Ginga. He's strong, he can carry us both off of here." Rei's voice was adamant, only a step above a growl. "No way in hell am I leaving you behind, Leo."

"We're running out of time, it's now or never!" Tsubasa had been keeping a running mental tally of their time limit, and they were nearly half gone on that already. Without further ado, he called forth his mount, a white metal horse accented in red. "We need to go."

Rei and Kouga nodded, summoning Gouten and Ginga immediately. Ginga protested some at the extra weight of Leo, but only until the bronze knight was comfortably situated. The fire was already nearly licking at the hooves of the three mounts by then, causing the horse-like creatures to become alarmed and unruly. The knights took the reigns of their respective rides and quickly steered the mounts off the ship. There was no quick and easy dock to land on, but there was plenty of water. Not that it mattered overly much, the mounts were magical constructs, after all, though they did rush to douse the flames in the sea by running at it full tilt.


	41. Chapter 41

By the time the knights neared the shore, they were almost to the limit of their armors. The four cast away the suits that had protected them, sending the mounts away as well. Of course, that left them wading through water that was well past even Leo's waist, but it was still better than being dead. Still, it was barely spring yet, and the water was frigid as it seeped through their clothing. As they dragged themselves ashore, Leo looked around, expecting a trap to be ready and waiting for them. To his surprise, there was nothing. Part of him felt extremely uneasy about that, but there was nothing he could do about it. "We should head for the Senate immediately. It's the safest place we can go."

The other three nodded, forcing their bodies to move and walk. Kouga knew if he stopped moving, he likely wouldn't start again, which was all that kept him moving. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time to carry him back. He felt numb inside, like there was a raw and gaping wound deep in his chest. Nothing had hurt like this since Kaoru had been at the end of her limit from the horror's blood, when he still refused to admit how deeply he had cared. But in many ways, the pain he felt with every heavy step was more than that pain had been. He wouldn't see Rekka smile again, wouldn't hear her joke or tease, and he would never get to give her a proper farewell. He'd never have a second chance at earning her back like he had with Kaoru. Kouga forced himself to shake that line of thought off. He should know better than to compare his wife to his childhood friend, and he swore that he did know better. His grief would be felt later, he had no time for it just then.

While Kouga had been lost inside his own head, the group had made it to the nearest entrance for the Senate. Once they made it into the side dimension, they started to warm up and dry out. Rei wrapped an arm around Leo's waist, silently offering comfort to his lover as the group trudged to the official chamber where Grace would be waiting. The halls were tall and lonely, but warm, thanks to the air flowing through them. That was one thing Rei liked about this place, he could always count on the priests that worked directly for the Senate to take good care of them. 

Inside the official chamber, Grace was waiting for the knights she had tasked with tracking down Abaddon. Honestly, she hadn't expected them to succeed so quickly, she'd thought the high level horror would have been making more of an effort to stay hidden. To her, that meant that Abaddon had wanted to be found. They knew the horror had plans of its own, but no clue about the schedule those plans ran on. Not knowing such a vital thing made her feel edgy and uneasy, she hated not having important information to relay to the knights under her authority. Looking at the door as they walked in, the sense of dread that had been but a niggling thought in the back of her head grew powerful, making her chest feel tight. "You have news? We weren't able to monitor any of you once you reached the boat."

Tsubasa stepped forward, speaking up in Kouga's stead. "We have news, but nothing of it is good. Abaddon is the reason why Rekka went missing, it consumed her soul and now is using her body as a vessel. The two generals were strong, but one of them is dead now. Abaddon chose Rekka because it thinks we won't be able to bring ourselves to attack. It controls rapid and fast burning flames, hot enough that we would have cooked in our armors if we hadn't escaped. Why no horrors were sent after us, I don't know. It's possible that Abaddon didn't think of us as a risk, or its operating on a timeline we don't know about."

Grace sighed softly, feeling her years more than she had in a good while. She could have had grandsons the age of the knights before her, and it saddened her that they had to see such a thing happen to someone they cared for. "Knowing this, will you still be able to put an end to Abaddon?"

It took a little while, but eventually all four men nodded. Kouga looked up at Grace, resolute despite the pain he felt. "Rekka would never forgive us for allowing such a monster to run amuck wearing her face. We will make Abaddon pay for this. And then we will honor Rekka's memory as she deserves."

With all four men looking up at her with that same dedication in their eyes, Grace felt herself smiling ever so slightly. "Then take the day to recover and rest. you can take arms tomorrow night and put an end to this once and for all. I will see to it that she is honored appropriately. Jabi and her student have returned home for the evening, so perhaps you should all head that way as well. There is a door that will take you as close as possible to the grounds."

The knights bowed and turned to leave, knowing by now precisely where that exit was. By the time they made it through the front door of the Saejima home, it was after midnight. Rei led Leo upstairs without a word, intent on doing anything he could to help his lover sleep. Tsubasa and Kouga followed behind, each seeking out their own significant others. Tsubasa found Jabi in the study and broke the news to her as gently as he could. For all their past animosity, she was precious to him now, and it hurt more to have her crying in his arms than the knowledge of Rekka's fate had on its own. She didn't even have to ask him to stay with her, the southern knight just led Jabi back to his room and held her while they both tried to sleep. Meanwhile, Kouga made his way to the master suite to find Kaoru. Once the door was closed, keeping the rest of the world at bay, he broke down in her arms. Only in front of his wife could he allow himself to grieve for the girl he had known for so many years.

All six slept the day away, waking up just in time for supper. Gonza's cheerful mood helped to lighten things some, though they were mostly doing much better. Kouga had mourned the death of his friend in the early hours that morning, so as far as he was convinced, there was no reason to hold back at all anymore. Jabi's eyes were still a painful red as she quietly insisted on going with the knights to put a stop to Abaddon, but no one argued with her. They knew that it would pay to have a priest at their back doing whatever could be done to help in the fight. Even if all she could do was lessen the strength of the flames, it would help. They ate in silence, the weight of the evening's mission hanging heavily on everyone's minds.

Once supper had been finished and cleared away, Jabi, Tsubasa, Rei, Leo, and Kouga stood and prepared to head out. Kaoru knew she would be staying behind, she didn't know nearly enough to be of any use to them, after all. So instead she gave each of them a hug and extracted promises that they would return before seeing them off with the best smile she could muster. That was what she did, after all. Stay behind and worry, pray for everyone to make it home safely, and keep smiling. It wasn't an easy job, and her smile fell once they were out of sight. She retreated to her studio and pulled out a blank canvas. She couldn't help avenge Rekka, but she could do something else to honor the priest. Picking up a pencil, the artist did a faint sketch on her canvas. Kaoru would make a portrait of Rekka that would last many years longer than those that had known her, which, in Kaoru's mind, was the most fitting tribute she could give.


	42. Chapter 42

As she walked with the four knights, Jabi did her best to ignore the fear and apprehension crawling in her veins. She knew this had to be done, that the thing wearing her friend's face wasn't her friend, but she still wasn't sure she could do this. Her hand sought Tsubasa's without much thought, seeking the silent comfort the man could provide. "So...how are we going to find Abaddon?" She felt awkward being the one to break the silence, but it was something to help relieve the tension. 

Kouga rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve some of the tension in them. "We're going to start at the boat. Hopefully, Abaddon will still be there. It's been just shy of twenty four hours, after all." If the horror wasn't there, hopefully there would be clues to where it had gone. "There's that other horror, too. The one that led Rei and me there last night."

"Tsubasa and I can start on him, Kouga. You should take Leo and Jabi and go after Abaddon. You'll need their magic against those flames. Tsubasa and I will catch up once we're done." Rei's mouth was pressed into a thin line as he spoke. He knew that the three who had the closest connections to Rekka would be the ones fighting the thing wearing her face. He knew that it would be difficult for them, but the closure it would provide would be beneficial.

"That's a sound plan. And I doubt it'll take long for us to knock down that horror." Tsubasa nodded firmly and flashed a grim smirk. He squeezed Jabi's hand reassuringly, trying to relay his faith in her and his prayer for her to make it through this.

When they reached the walkway that Rei and Kouga had taken the night before, Leo pulled his brush out and checked for traps. What he revealed with the spell was the very horror that Rei and Tsubasa were to deal with. Rei drew his swords as Tsubasa flipped the blade out from within his spear, both standing at that ready. Itachon just laughed and strolled down the walkway. "So that's how this is going to go, then? Divide and conquer? Fine, seems amusing enough. And I know Lord Abaddon will be cross if he doesn't get a chance to rip apart Garo personally." He hopped down to the ground with a flourish, clearing the path for Leo, Kouga, and Jabi to continue on. "Have fun, kiddos~."

Kouga frowned and slipped past the horror. He would have drawn his sword, but there would be that ladder they would need to climb. He would be able to go up it much faster if his hands were free. Stepping into the ship, he tried very hard to remember which way he'd gone the night before. It had been just as dark then as it was now, which certainly wasn't helping matter, but he managed to find the same ladder as before. "Here. I'll lead and cover you both while you make your way up." Without looking for confirmation, he started climbing. 

As soon as Kouga was clear, Leo followed him up. It was the best option to have Jabi come up last, she had the least defense against such a powerful horror. Both knights drew their blades and scanned the deck for any sign of the horror, wanting to be ready for anything. Abaddon was there waiting for them, fire swirling at the horror's feet. Leo swallowed hard and held his brush in his off hand. Jabi was powerful and competent in her own right, true. But every little bit would help.

As much as it felt like being sucker punched with a rusty knife to see Rekka standing across the deck, Jabi couldn't let herself be distracted. All she had to do was remember that the thing in front of them wasn't her friend and fellow priest. It was a horror, after all, and one of the worst ever to boot. Focusing on the flames, she drew her magic in and attacked. Water wasn't a typical element in her arsenal, but it was what she needed at the moment. A wave swept up out of nowhere, dousing Abaddon and sparing the knights. It was immediately clear the horror hadn't anticipated such an attack, which was good. In the moment that Abaddon's guard was down, Leo and Kouga were able to rush in and attack. 

Back out on the pier, Rei growled in frustration. The damn horror was playing with him and Tsubasa, stalling them. He moved back and called forth his armor, ready to just be done with the small fry. Tsubasa took the hint and moved out of the way. He wound the horror's vine-like tentacles around his staff, trapping the horror in place so that Rei could deliver the finishing blow. Once they had succeeded, he turned toward the walkway onto the ship. "We should hurry in case they need us."

Rei nodded and dropped his armor. There was no use running the timer down now when he would need to call on it again later. "Here's hoping we won't be needed." He shared a grim smile with the other knight before running up the walkway. He could hear the heavy sound of Tsubasa's feet on the metal right behind him. They both hurried up the ladder as quick as they could, making it to the deck just in time for Kouga to be sent skidding past them from having been thrown by the horror. Rei leapt onto the deck and charged at Abaddon, swords drawn in an instant. Tsubasa backtracked to check on Kouga and Jabi, who had stayed as far out of the line of fire as she could. 

Kouga braced his blade against the floor to push himself back up, looking rather worse for wear. Still, he wasn't going to admit defeat now. He got his feet back under himself and called his armor finally. "This needs to end. Now." He was fed up with having to fight a monster wearing his childhood friend's face.

Tsubasa and Leo called their armors as well, sharing a look between them. If they could hold Abaddon still even for just a few moments, it would be enough for Rei and Kouga to finish the horror off. Nodding to each other, the two charged and grabbed hold of the horror. Jabi quickly caught on to the plan and did what she could to help immobilize the target. Thankfully, Rei and Kouga figured it out as well, and they two charged from opposite directions to hit Abaddon with everything they had.


	43. Chapter 43

It was enough. Just barely, but still enough. There was a scream like metal grinding and tearing against itself as Abaddon expired, leaving Rekka's corpse behind, battered and bruised. All four knights cast their armors away as Jabi approached, leaving the group of five to surround the body laying on the ground. It was a solemn scene to say the least, and no one wanted to be the first to break the silence. Eventually, Kouga picked Rekka up and threw her body over his shoulder before carefully climbing back down the ladder they had all used to get up to where they were. The rest of the group followed in silence all the way back to the pier. Once they were fully off the ship, Jabi made Kouga lay the dead woman back on the ground before conjuring a stretcher and a sheet. Leo and Rei carefully laid Rekka on the stretcher, Tsubasa covered her completely with the sheet and tucked it in around her so the wind couldn't grab it, and all four men took a corner and lifted as they stood. Kouga and Leo led the way back to the Senate, carrying the end by Rekka's feet while Rei and Tsubasa carried the end by her head. Jabi followed behind quietly, feeling just as saddened and reserved as she felt exhausted and drained. 

When the group of five made it back to the Senate, Grace was waiting with a small group of priests who were prepared to take the remains. She did what she could to heal the physical wounds suffered by the quartet of knights, but some hurts didn't show on the surface. With as much reassurance as she could, Grace did her best to mend those wounds as well. "Arrangements are in the works already, she is to be buried next to her mother and father in one week. Her biography will be added to the archive, and it will say that she died nobly doing her duty. There are, as you all know, worse fates for priests and knights to suffer. For now, you should all go home. Grieve in whatever way you need to, and know that she would thank you for stopping Abaddon before the horror could do far worse while using her as a vessel."

Kouga nodded absently as he watched the group of priests carry Rekka away to prepare her for her funeral. It had been hard to release the stretcher, but it had been necessary. He was glad Grace was sending them all home after that battle, though. He wanted to do nothing more than to drown himself in Kaoru's presence and try to move past the pain. With a perfunctory bow, he led the way through the Senate exit right outside the reconstructed version of his childhood home.

Inside the mansion, Kaoru was pacing at the front door. She had hit the point where she had been forced to stop painting in order to avoid falling asleep, and had become quite restless as a result. When the front door creaked open to admit her teacher and the knights who called the massive house their home, her heart ached for all of them. She waited for them to get inside before starting to step toward her husband, only to have her steps cut short as he walked hurriedly to her and pulled her into a tight hug. This was much harder on him than facing Sigma had been, and she could only wrap her arms around Kouga and hold him just as tightly. She faintly registered Leo and Rei trudging past and heading upstairs with Jabi and Tsubasa not far behind. As much as the artist wanted to hug all of her friends, she was at least glad that none of them had to mourn alone. When Kouga finally loosened his hold on her, Kaoru took his hands and led him up the stairs to their room.

The following week passed by rather slowly for everyone. There were no horrors to hunt, Grace had sent for knights from other areas to take care of any that tried to pop up in an effort to give the group assigned to city a chance to relax and recover. Kaoru spent about half the week holed up in her studio, not even allowing Gonza inside until she had finished the portrait. The frame was done in a rush, but no one would know just looking at it as it suited the painting well. Kaoru kept it covered despite its weight and awkwardness as the group of six took a car to where the funeral would be held. 

Gonza had driven as far as he could, past the end of the established road, before stopping. As he had not known Rekka, he had no qualms about waiting in the car while a small service was held. The coffin was elegant and simple, the marker tasteful and covered in protection spells. Once the grave had been filled once more, a process she had helped expedite with a simple spell, Kaoru set the covered painting on the ground in front of the grave marker and pulled back the heavy cloth hiding it from view. "I couldn't help to avenge her, so I made this tribute instead."

"It is a beautiful painting, Kaoru, truly. You have a remarkable gift, and I am sure Rekka would be honored to have such a memorial left behind in her honor. With your permission, I would like to hang this up outside of the archives, so that she can watch over and protect the histories and legacies of knights and priests stretching back throughout time." Grace knew that she wasn't the only one in awe of Kaoru's painting. Kouga and Tsubasa had clenched their jaws to hold back their emotions, Leo and Rei were both blinking back tears, and Jabi was simply trying to keep from sobbing. The old woman embraced the young artist first before doing the same for the other five, something about them made her feel almost maternal. 

Kaoru was stunned that Grace thought the painting was so good. She'd not known Rekka for a great length of time, leaving her praying that it even looked like the woman who had been laid to rest beneath her feet. After returning the hug, she waited for the older woman to turn back to her before bowing deeply. "I would be honored to have you hang this painting at the Senate, Grace-san. Really." 

"Then I shall take it back with me, and see that it is treated like the masterpiece it is." Grace smiled softly and lifted the painting from where it had been leaning. Holding it before her, she bowed gently to the group. "Those we love tend to leave us far too soon, but that is the price we pay for being the protectors of mankind. Those who leave behind loved ones to remember them are the ones who are truly lucky." Without another word, she turned and walked away, taking the painting along with her. 

The group of six lingered for a few moments longer, paying their final respects to their fallen friends. As they all turned and started back toward where Gonza was waiting, Jabi wiped the tears from her face and looped her arm through Kaoru's. "So, first one to have a daughter already has a name waiting."

Kaoru gave a tearful laugh as she wiped her own eyes and leaned into Jabi just slightly. "Of course. It's only fitting, right?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the epic is finally complete. Thank you, my readers, who have stuck with this and been patient with me on the updates. I have actual printed copies coming in the mail (OMG YAY!!!) next week, and I think I'm going to cry when I get them. You've all been wonderful, and your support has been invaluable. *hugs you all*


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